Adrenal 21-hydroxylase deficiency is strongly associated with HLA-Bw47. This rare HLA allele and the HLA-B13 allele are both found in positive genetic linkage disequilibrium with HLA-A3, -Cw6, -DR7 and also display serological cross-reactivity. To investigate the relationship between these two alleles at the structural level, the nucleotide sequences of the HLA-B13 and HLA-Bw47 genes have been determined. They differ by 28 nucleotides, resulting in 14 amino acid substitutions: 5 in the alpha 1 domain, 8 in the alpha 2 domain, and 1 in the transmembrane region. Comparison of HLA-Bw47 nucleotide sequence with other HLA-B sequences shows a segment of 228 bp identical with B44 in the alpha 1 domain and a segment of 218 bp identical with B27 in the alpha 2 domain, but only a 91 bp segment of identity with B13 in the alpha 1 domain. The complex pattern of substitutions and their degree of divergence indicate that HLA-B13 and HLA-Bw47 alleles are not related by a simple mutational event.