edited by Jeffrey L Bidwell (University of Bristol) & Cristina Navarrete (National Blood Service — London & The South East)

This invaluable book provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary serological, cellular and molecular methodologies in histocompatibility testing, and their application to human organ transplantation and transfusion. The contributors are internationally respected authorities in histocompatibility and immunogenetics, and are closely involved in the development or application of state-of-the-art technologies. The first three sections of the book are primarily intended for use as a bench manual for histocompatibility testers, immunologists and immunogeneticists; the fourth and fifth sections, on selection of donors and statistical methods, will further assist medical practitioners involved in clinical transplantation and its outcome. The final section of the book reviews the genetics and clinical relevance of minor histocompatibility antigens.

• Foreword:
  • HLA Polymorphism: Origin and Maintenance (W F Bodmer)
• Introduction:
  • Immune Recognition and the MHC (P Travers)
• Antibody-Based Histocompatibility Testing:
  • HLA Typing by Alloantibodies and Monoclonal Antibodies (G M Th Schreuder)
  • Screening for HLA-Specific Antibodies (C Brown & C Navarrete)
  • Detection of Soluble HLA (V Rebmann & H Grosse-Wilde)
  • Crossmatching by Lymphocytotoxicity and Flow Cytometry (S Martin & A Harmer)
• DNA-Based Histocompatibility Testing:
  • PCR-SSP Typing (M Bunce)
  • PCR-SSOP Typing (D Middleton)
  • Sequencing-Based Typing (J Ross)
  • DNA Conformational Analysis (J R Argüello & J A Madrigal)
  • Microsatellite Typing (A Cambon-Thomsen et al.)
  • On-Line HLA Sequence Alignments (G J Laundy & J L Bidwell)
• Cell-Based Histocompatibility Testing:
  • Cell-Based Histocompatibility Testing (E Kaminski)
• Donor Selection:
  • Allocation of Solid Organs for Transplantation (P A Dyer & S Sheldon)
  • Selection of Haemopoietic Stem Cell Donors for Transplantation (A Green)
  • Selection of Platelet Donors and Provision of HLA-Matched Platelets (J Harrison & C Navarrete)
• Statistical Methods:
  • Population Genetics of the Human Major Histocompatibility Complex (R F Schipper et al.)
  • Survival Analysis in Solid Organ Transplantation (P A Dyer)
  • Survival Analysis in Bone Marrow Transplantation (S Richards)
  • HLA and Disease Association: Statistical Considerations(J H Barrett et al.)
• Minor Histocompatibility Antigens:
  • Minor Histocompatibility Antigens (E Simpson)