Three HLA-D region antigens defined by primed LD typing.

We have recently described a new method, primed LD typing or PLT, for specific identification of HLA-D antigens. Highly discriminatory PLT cells have been developed which clearly differentiate between cells of individuals that restimulate strongly and those that restimulate weakly. Seven such discriminatory PLT cells have been used to define three antigens called PL1, PL2, and PL3; two more PLT cells may define antigen(s) PL4.

Correlation of structure with T cell responses of the three members of the HLA-DRw52 allelic series.

A third allele at the DRB3 locus, DRw52c, represents an intermediate sequence between DRw52a and DRw52b and may have arisen by a gene conversion-like event. The recognition of cells bearing these molecules by a number of alloreactive and antigen-specific DR-restricted T cell clones was analyzed. On the basis of a theoretical model of HLA class II structure, distinct amino acid clusters have been identified as motifs controlling TCR recognition. These are located both in the cleft and in the alpha-helical edge of the MHC class II recognition platform. Motifs shared between two alleles may restrict public T cell clones.

HL-A LD (lymphocyte defined) typing: a rapid assay with primed lymphocytes.

When human lymphocytes are cultured for 9 to 14 days with stimulating cells of a family member differing by a single HL-A haplotype they become "primed" to recognize specific HL-A LD (mixed lymphocyte culture) antigens. These primed lymphocytes respond specifically and rapidly when "restimulated" with cells of a person that contain the same LD antigens as those of the priming haplotype. Specific HL-A LD antigens can be detected within 24 hours by this primed LD typing.

A diabetes-susceptible HLA haplotype is best defined by a combination of HLA-DR and -DQ alleles.

HLA-DR4 is associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in many populations. Many recent studies suggest that the DR4 effect is really due to DQ3.2, an allele of the nearby DQB1 locus. We used T cell clones, MAb, and allele-specific oligonucleotides to test IDDM and control subjects for DR4 subtypes (Dw4, Dw10, Dw13, and Dw14) and for DR4-associated DQB1 alleles (DQ3.1 and DQ3.2). We find that (a) IDDM is approximately equally associated with alleles of the DRB1 locus (Dw4 and Dw10, combined relative risk, RR = 6.4) and the DQB1 locus (DQ3.2, RR = 5.9); and (b) there is significant interaction, in a statistical sense, between these DR and DQ alleles in IDDM. The only IDDM-associated DR4 haplotypes were those carrying the IDDM-associated alleles at both loci (RR = 12.1); haplotypes with Dw4 or 10 but not DQ3.2, or vice versa, had a RR less than 1. Alternative explanations include: (a) that susceptibility requires specific allelic products of both DR and DQ loci; (b) that the combination of certain DR and DQ alleles marks haplotypes with the true susceptibility allele at a third locus; or (c) that Dw4 and 10 mark haplotypes with an allele at another locus that interacts with DQ3.2. As discussed, this third locus is unlikely to be DQA1 (DQ alpha). The data thus are not easily reconciled with an exclusive effect of HLA-DQ. This information increases our ability to predict IDDM by genetic typing: in the population studied, heterozygotes DR3/[DQ3.2, Dw4] or DR3/[DQ3.2, Dw10] had a relative risk of 38.0 and an absolute risk of 1 in 15.

HLA and insulin-dependent diabetes. A protective perspective.

This article presents a model for the HLA effect in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) that is almost the mirror image of a model suggested by Nepom. In the Nepom model, the products of certain HLA alleles are associated with IDDM because they bind and present a specific peptide or peptides so as to induce an immune response to pancreatic beta-cells; certain other alleles can protect against IDDM if they compete strongly for binding of the diabetogenic peptide. My model focuses instead on the failure of the immune system to maintain tolerance to pancreatic beta-cells. I suggest that the HLA alleles negatively associated with IDDM (e.g., DR2 and DQw1) produce products with high affinity for certain beta-cell peptide or peptides needed to establish and maintain tolerance to beta-cells, whereas the alleles that are common in IDDM (e.g., DR3, DR4, and DQw8) produce products that have low affinity for the tolerogenic peptide or peptides or that bind the peptide or peptides in the wrong orientation or configuration for establishing tolerance. I also discuss the multiplicity of HLA loci, alleles, and amino acids contributing to IDDM and the fact that the associations of specific loci, alleles, and even genotypes with IDDM depend not only on their intrinsic properties but also on various population parameters.

A particular subset of HLA-DR4 accounts for all or most of the DR4 association in type I diabetes.

Two human T-lymphocyte clones, derived from a mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) with stimulating cells from a type I diabetic patient, define a subset of HLA-DR4, tentatively called "DR4S." In testing of 69 random type I diabetic subjects and 69 random controls, 79% (37/47) of DR4-positive patients, but only 44% (8/18) of DR4-positive controls, had DR4S (P less than 0.01). The relative risk of type I diabetes for DR4S+ individuals was 8.8, while that for DR4+ DR4S- individuals was only 1.0. Thus, in the population tested, DR4S accounts for all or most of the increased frequency of HLA-DR4 in type I diabetes.

Specificity of hemin action in vivo at early stages of hematopoietic cell differentiation.

The effects of a single injection of hemin on murine marrow BFU-E and CFU-S were assessed to determine whether hemin is as effective in augmenting primitive (day 7) BFU-E levels in situ as it is in vitro and to assess hemin's action on transplantable pluripotent stem cells (CFU-S). The results show that hemin exerts a cell-specific enhancement of both BFU-E marrow levels and cell cycling within 6 h of its administration in vivo. No such effect on CFU-S was observed.

Dual expression of human leukocyte antigen molecules and the B7-1 costimulatory molecule (CD80) on human melanoma cells after particle-mediated gene transfer.

The aim of this study was to determine if human melanoma cells could be molecularly modified by particle-mediated gene transfer with a "gene gun", using genes for interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), the B7-1 costimulatory molecule (CD80), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2, to augment expression of both HLA molecules and B7-1. Established and early passage melanoma cells transfected with human IFN-gamma complementary DNA (cDNA) produced IFN-gamma (50-5,000 pg/mL). The biological effect of this IFN-gamma transgene included an upregulation, or de novo appearance, of HLA expression. These melanoma cells had no detectable baseline surface expression of the B7-1 costimulatory molecule, but 8% to 31% of these cells became B7-1 positive with no selection procedure after gene transfer with human B7-1 cDNA. After combination gene transfer with cDNAs for both IFN-gamma and B7-1, 9% to 33% of these cells expressed both HLA-DR and B7-1. In combination gene transfer experiments with cDNAs for both HLA-A2 and B7-1, dual expression of HLA-A2 and B7-1 was achieved in 10% to 17% of the melanoma cells. Thus, the molecular modification of human melanoma cells to increase expression of both HLA and B7-1 can be achieved by particle-mediated gene delivery and presents a promising strategy to stimulate antimelanoma T-cell immunity. Key words: Melanoma; T cells; B7-1 costimulatory molecule (CD80); major histocompatibility complex.

Functional polymorphism of the HLA-DR beta III chain.

Several clusters of class II HLA genes contribute to variation in human antigen-presenting capacity. In the HLA-DR cluster, most of the variation is due to the highly polymorphic DR beta I gene. Recent work by others has shown some nucleotide and implied amino acid sequence variation in DR beta III chains, but this variation is not known to be functionally significant. We show here that two proliferating human T-cell clones define three allelic variants of DR beta III (assignment to DR beta III based on blocking of proliferation by selected monoclonal antibodies). Thus, the DR beta III locus encodes at least three alleles that are distinguishable by human T cells and most probably contribute to the human antigen-presenting repertoire. The three DR beta III alleles subdivide the "supertypic" HLA antigen DRw52 into subtypes provisionally called DRw52.1-52.3. The DR3 haplotypes studied to date have been either DRw52.1 or 52.2; DR5 haplotypes have all (23 of 23) been 52.2; DRw6 haplotypes have included all three DRw52 subtypes, nearly half being 52.3. Our data, combined with other published data, imply that DRw8 must either have a fourth DRw52 subtype or be DR beta III null.

HLA-DQA2 (DX alpha) polymorphism and insulin dependent diabetes.

A certain HLA-DQA2 locus TaqI fragment, DX alpha"U", has been reported to be associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Reports of various studies in this vein have ranged from stating that the association of DQA2"U" with IDDM exists even among subjects positive for HLA-DR3 and -DR4 to stating that the association of DQA2"U" with diabetes can be attributed to linkage disequilibrium between the DQA2"U" and some component(s) on the affected haplotypes. Using a synthetic 97-base probe corresponding to a portion of an intron of DQA2, in a Southern blot analysis of IDDM and control subjects from Wisconsin, we were able to confirm the association of DQA2"U" with diabetes. However, among DR3 subjects there was no significant association between DQA2"U" and diabetes (p = 0.26). Although there was a (nonsignificant) association of IDDM with DQA2"U" among DR4-positive subjects (p = 0.14), this can be completely attributed to linkage disequilibrium between DQA2"U" and DQw8. We also sequenced most of the second exon (corresponding to the alpha 1 domain of the DQA2 glycoprotein) from five individuals that were homozygous for either DQA2"U" or DQA2"L." The only polymorphisms observed were a "silent" mutation at position 36 and one example of a difference that would result in a change of amino acid at position 41.

T-cell-defined DR4 subtypes as markers for type 1 diabetes.

In most populations studied, HLA-DR4, a DRB1 (formerly DR beta I) allele, is increased in frequency among patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Using T-cells, one can distinguish five subtypes of DR4 (Dw4, Dw10, Dw13, Dw14, and Dw15). Two of these (Dw4 and Dw10) are IDDM-associated in the populations studied here. Therefore, Dw4 and Dw10 could be causative or merely markers for a linked diabetes allele. If they are causative, one might expect them to share some unique structural element or at least to associate consistently with IDDM in different populations. Published sequence data show no structural element unique to Dw4 and Dw10; moreover, the associations of these DR4-Dw subtypes with diabetes vary considerably in different populations. Thus the DRB1 locus probably cannot account for the DR4 association in IDDM. The strong linkage disequilibrium between IDDM and Dw4 and Dw10 suggests that the diabetes susceptibility locus should be in the vicinity of the DR region or the DQ region of the HLA complex. Alternative hypotheses are discussed, relating DR- and DQ-region alleles to IDDM. We further postulate that the evolutionary event that produced the Dw10 allele occurred on a Dw4 haplotype that happened to carry a diabetes susceptibility allele at another locus.

Allelic T-cell receptor alpha complexes have little or no influence on susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.

We performed a multiple-affected-sib study to determine if T-cell receptor alpha-chain alleles affect susceptibility to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used to follow the segregation of allelic T-cell receptor alpha complexes within the families. The segregation of T-cell receptor alpha alleles in 29 multiplex families revealed no significant tendency for affected sibs to share T-cell receptor alpha-chain alleles more often than would be expected by chance alone (p greater than 0.2). In contrast, the same type of analysis for HLA alleles easily detected the well-known linkage of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus susceptibility to the HLA complex (p = 0.003). We suggest that the importance of HLA alleles in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus susceptibility and the lack of importance of T-cell receptor alpha alleles result from the different strategies by which HLA and T-cell receptor molecules achieve antigen-binding diversity: multiple loci and allelic diversity in the case of HLA; combinatorial, junctional, and N-region diversity in the case of the T-cell receptor. In this paper we also describe three new restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the T-cell receptor alpha complex and a new method for testing the significance of linkage in multiple-affected-sib studies.

T cell defined HLA epitopes and T cell receptor polymorphism in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

T cell defined epitopes on class II HLA molecules (epitopes distinguishable by T cells but not by antibodies) seem to be important determinants of IDDM susceptibility/resistance. Although HLA-DR4 is associated with IDDM in many populations, DR4-positive HLA haplotypes vary greatly (relative risk from greater than 10 to less than 1). This variation seems to depend on both the DQ allele and T cell defined subtypes of the DR4 allele. These IDDM associated alleles at the two loci (DQB1 and DRB1) are not correlated with each other in the healthy population, so they clearly are independent risk factors. HLA-DR2 has universally been associated with lack of IDDM, and seems to be protective. However, not all DR2 haplotypes protect, and the protection or lack of protection correlates with T cell defined subtypes of DR2. In this case, however, the DR2 subtypes do correlate with DQ alleles, so it is unclear which locus (loci) is (are) actually affecting the disease process. It may be significant that, for both DR2 and DR4, only the more protective subtypes have arginine at amino acid position 71. Other portions of the DR beta chain are clearly important, however. Although TCR alpha and beta seemed to be promising candidates for additional IDDM susceptibility genes, in fact the various TCR alpha and beta haplotypes are equal, or nearly equal, with regard to IDDM susceptibility. The importance of HLA alleles in IDDM susceptibility, and the lack of importance of TCR alpha and beta alleles, may be due to the different means by which the HLA and TCR molecules achieve antigen binding diversity: HLA molecules by multiple loci and allelic diversity, and TCR molecules by the tremendous diversity that can be generated from a single TCR allele during T cell maturation.

Primed lymphocyte typing (PLT): dichtomizing responses into "positives" and "negatives".

In primed lymphocyte typing (PLT), it will often be useful to divide the test cells for any given reagent into a positive and a negative group. Some general problems in PLT analysis are discussed here. The author describes a model for PLT data, to provide a conceptual framework, and suggests a statistical procedure based on the model.

Determining antigenic relationships on the basis of MLC testing. I. A matrix approach for listing all possible antigenic assignments.

We present an approach for determining all possible antigenic relationships among a group of individuals, on the basis of MLC results. We assume that the researcher or tissue typer has a criterion for classifying responses into positives and negatives, and that this classification has already been done for the data set being considered. Given any set of positive and negative MLC responses, our technique produces all antigenic assignments consistent with the assumption that a response occurs if and only if the stimulator has antigen(s) foreign to the responder. No genetic assumptions are made.

Determining antigenic relationships on the basis of MLC testing. II. Mechanical algorithms.

We describe mechanical algorithms, involving manipulations of matrices, for listing all possible antigenic relationships among individuals tested in MLC. We also describe an algorithm for determining whether an MLC result can be interpreted in line with our assumption of the preceding paper, that stimulation occurs if, and only if, the stimulator has antigen(s) foreign to the responder.