What is Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing?
A. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing is a DNA based tissue test used to match patients and donors for bone marrow transplants (BMT). HLA are proteins — or markers — found on most cells in your body. Your immune system uses these markers to recognize which cells belong in your body and which do not. A close match between your HLA markers and your donor’s can reduce the risk that your immune cells will reject your donor’s cells or that your donor’s immune cells will reject your body after the transplant.
