Bu and SV: Two Closely Related B-Locus Specificities

Abstract

The HLA-B15/Bw21/Bw35 related specificities Bu and SV were studied in Bristol and in Leiden [England, UK], both independently and with mutually exchanged sera and cells. Evidence is presented that these specificities are likely to be discrete, though very closely related, antigens occurring with a combined phenotype frequency of about 1% in Dutch and English Caucasians. SV may be associated with Aw36, while no clear-cut haplotype or phenotypic association has yet emerged for Bu with any HLA-A or C locus antigen. Bu and SV appear to be related to the variant of B15 reported to be common in Negroid populations.