Editing Histocompatibility (section)

=== Serological Typing ===
Serological typing involves incubating lymphocytes from the recipient with serum containing known antibodies against the varying HLA alleles. If the serum contains an antibody specific for a HLA allele that is present on the recipient's lymphocyte, the antibodies will bind to the cell and activate a [[Complement system|complement]] signaling cascade resulting in cell lysis. A lysed cell will take up an added dye such as [[trypan blue]] allowing for identification. Comparing which serums triggers cell lysis allows identification of HLA alleles present on the cell surface of the recipients cells.<ref name="Chandraker_2012">{{cite book |  first1 = Anil | last1 = Chandraker | first2 = Mohamed H. | last2 = Sayegh | name-list-style = vanc |title=Core concepts in renal transplantation|date=2012|publisher=Springer Science+Business Media, LLC | pages = 1960 |isbn=9781461400073|location=New York|oclc=768245800}}</ref>

Serological typing has the benefit of quickly identifying expressed HLA alleles, and ignores any non-expressed alleles that could be of little immunological significance. However, it does not recognize subclasses of alleles, which are sometimes necessary for matching.<ref name="Chandraker_2012" />