DQ8 is determined by the antibody recognition of β8 and is complicated by the fact that DQ8 recognizes some HLA-DQB1*03 encoded isoforms well, partially or not well at all (See serology) DQ β3.2 and β3.5 are best recognized as DQ8. These split antigens are the allele products of the DQB1*0302 and DQB1*0305, respectively.
DQB1*0302
DQB1*0302 and is found most often in the haplotype DQA1*0301:DQB1*0302, about 10% of the time it is found in the haplotype DQA1*0302:DQB1*0302. DQB1*0302 are almost always linked to DR4, DRB1*0401, *0402, and *0404 in caucasians. The first and third DRB1 are most strongly associated with rheumatoid arthritis.DQB1*0305
DQB1*0305 gene product reacts slightly more intensely with DQ8 than DQ7 its generally rare in Europe andNorth America, except in a few indigeonous populations. Levels of DQB1*0305 are probably higher given earlier tests did not discriminate well between different *03.
Adapted from the Wikipedia article HLA-DQ8, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
