HLA epitopes on donor HLA molecules play a crucial role in solid organ transplantation, and high-resolution typing of all 11 HLA loci is essential for enhanced allocation. However, for deceased organ donors, there has not yet been sufficient time to perform high-resolution sequencing, hence only intermediate resolution typing from SSP-PCR techniques has been available.

In this study, we present validation data on the NGS-Turbo Kit (GenDX) for high-resolution HLA typing with Oxford Nanopore Technologies devices in less than 4 hours.

The method was tested on 41 samples previously typed by Illumina sequencing.

The high-resolution 3-field HLA typings obtained with Nanopore sequencing were 100% concordant compared to short-read sequencing using the NGSgo MX11-3 kit (GenDX), and in certain cases, the resolution was even higher. Notably, the re-run rate was a minimal 2.4%, comparable to alternative methods.

In conclusion, the adoption of high-resolution HLA typing for deceased donors holds promise for enhancing organ allocation strategies, potentially yielding significant clinical benefits for transplant recipients.

The authors declare that they have no relevant or material financial interests related to the research described in this paper.