The Southern Blot component of the Tenth Workshop focused on the study of 70 cell lines. Thirty-four different DR, DQ, Dw haplotypes emerged from serologic and cellular typings. The RFLP analysis demonstrated that these haplotypes could be clearly defined using the Southern blot technique.

The Tenth Workshop represented the first international effort to evaluate the role of Southern blot technology in characterization of loci and haplotypes comprising the HLA system. The data generated from the use of 12 restriction endonucleases on DNA from 70 cells selected from the reference cell line panel were technically valid as revealed by fragment pattern consistency of hidden duplicates and by fragment pattern relations with known HLA specificities and haplotypes. This review details the total data, comprising more than 1100 fragments associated with 11 DNA probes.