The present invention provides methods for determining the genotype of a
selected gene present in at least two alleles in a sample. The methods
involve amplifying DNA from the sample with a first pair of flanking
primers that hybridize to nucleic acid sequences flanking a
variant-specific gene sequence, the presence of which indicates the
presence of a first gene variant, and the absence of which indicates the
presence of a second gene variant. The DNA is also amplified with a third
primer that specifically binds to the variant-specific sequence and
together with one of the flanking primers forms a second pair of primers.
Detection of one or more nucleic acid products of the amplification
reaction is indicative of the genotype present in the sample.