PURPOSE OF THE MANUAL

The purpose of this manual is to provide the reader with the basic background needed to understand the HLA system and the molecular biology methods used to identify HLA "types".  It is assumed that the reader has a college education and has taken courses in basic biology and biochemistry.  The best results will be obtained if the reader starts at the beginning of the manual and follows all of the instructions in the manual.  The manual is meant to be a workbook and spaces for answers are provided in the text.   Answers are provided at the end of the manual.  Readers are encouraged to discuss their questions with their laboratory director.