The Distribution of HLA in a Polynesian Population – Western Samoans

In vitro sensitized cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) primarily detect antigens controlled within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) that are associated with the serologically detected (SD) loci LA and FOUR. Frequently CTLs sensitized to cells from one individual kill target cells of a third party that shares no SD cross-reactivities by serological criteria with the initial stimulating cells. We have studied the possibility that this cross-killing is due to the recognition of non-MHC controlled antigens. Allogeneic tissue from MHC identical siblings is rejected in the absence of immunosuppression, demonstrating the importance of non-MHC antigens. Nevertheless, CTLs sensitized simultaneously with mitomycin-C treated cells from an MHC identical sibling and from an unrelated individual were only able to mediate cytotoxicity on the unrelated's target cells. No significant cytotoxicity was observed in any combination on target cells differing only for non-MHC antigens.     

HLA Antigens in a Scottish Psoriatic Population

Sixty-one patients in the Dundee area suffering from psoriasis were typed for HLA-A and HLA-B antigens. On the basis of the typing results, the patients were divided into three groups, and studied with respect to sex, age of onset and familial incidence of the disease. The frequency of HLA-A1 appeared to be increased and HLA-B7 decreased but HLA-B13 and HLA-B17 were highly significantly increased (P less than 10(-6) and P less than 10(-10) respectively) in the psoriatic group compared to 204 controls. Of particular interest was a highly significant association of HLA-A1 with HLA-B17 in psoriatic patients. Family studies showed HLA-B17 to be a useful genetic marker for psoriasis in the families of B17 positive patients. Considerations of age of onset, familial incidence and typing data suggest that there is heterogeneity of genetic susceptibility to psoriasis and that one probable mechanism is the dominant inheritance of a "disease allele" in linkage disequilibrium with the allele coding for HLA-B17.     

Distribution of HLA Antigens in a Cuban Population

The frequencies of the HLA antigens were determined in a population of 160 unrelated Cubans from three different ethnic groups (white, mixed-blood and negro). We typed for antigenic specificities of the A and B loci, and also for the Cw1 specificity of the C locus. Phenotype and gene frequencies for the different ethnic groups are presented for comparison. The phenotype distribution, the haplotype frequencies for the white group and the genetic distance between this group and a Spanish population were calculated.     

HLA Antigens and Susceptibility to Psoriasis Vulgaris in a Non-Caucasian Population

Fifty-four unrelated Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris were tissue typed using the Sixth International Histocompatibility Workshop antisera. Two control groups were included in this study: Thirty-one pustulosis palmaris et plantaris and 17 seborrheic dermatitis as a disease control and 66 normal, healthy, unrelated Japanses as a reference. HLA-Al (P = 0.0065) from the A locus and HLA-BW37 (P = 0.0164) from the B locus were found to occur with increased frequency in patients with psoriasis vulgaris. No significant difference in antigen frequencies in pustulosis palmaris et plantaris was found, however, HLA-AW30 and/or AW31 and HLA-B12 occurred with increased frequency in seborrheic dermatitis. No linkage between psoriasis and HLA was observed in eight families. Therefore our findings in Japanese do not confirm the previous observation made in Caucasians of an association between psoriasis vulgaris and HLA-B13 or BW17.     

Histocompatibility Antigens (HL–A) in Leprosy

HL–A antigens of 70 leprosy patients and 40 normal healthy individuals were determined by the standard microlymphocytotoxicity test. Both lepromatous and non-lepromatous leprosy patients were tested for the presence of 11 HL–A antigens, and the frequency of each specificity was compared with that in a normal population of the same ethnic group. Although the statistical significance of HL–A8 specificity was found to be marginal in lepromatous leprosy patients, when using ordinary 2x2 statistics, there did seem to be a decreased frequency of HL–A9 among the non-lepromatous type. Other antigens tested did not reveal any significant differences between the two groups of subjects.     

HLA Antigens in Three Common Populations in South East Asia — Chinese, Malay and Filipino

The HLA profiles of three common populations from South East Asia, Chinese and Malays from Singapore and Filipinos from the Philippines are documented.     

The Distribution of HLA Antigens and Genes in the Greek Population

200 Greeks were typed by lymphocytotoxicity for 14 HLA-A and 18 HLA-B antigens with 120 sera. A high frequency of Bw35 and B5 antigen was apparent. The most remarkable disequilibria found were those between A2-B5 and A9-B18.     

Imminogenicity of Soluble Muhine Histocompatibility Antigens

Transplantation antigens were solubilized either from Sarcoma I (Sal) cells by aqueous autolysis, or from the spleens, lymph nodes and livers of normal A mice by aqueous autolysis followed by proteolysis with papain. The immunogenicity of these preparations was examined by their effect in modifying the rejection of Sal tumor allografts in C57BL/6 recipients and/ or by their capacity to induce the formation of cytotoxic lymphocytes in the spleens or lymph nodes of the immunized animals following a single intraperitoneal administration of the soluble antigen. Depending on the dose of antigen, and the interval between immunization and allografting, either tumor enhancement or accelerated tumor rejection was obtained. The latter was shown to be accompanied by cellular immunity, primarily in the lymph nodes of the sensitized animals; however, under certain conditions, cytotoxic lymphocytes were also detectable in the spleen.     

HLA—A, —B, and —D Antigens in Paralytic Poliomyelitis

Sixty-two unrelated Caucasian patients from the Munich area who had had paralytic poliomyelitis in the 1950s and the early 1960s were analyzed. HLA-A and -B typing was performed for 26 antigens. HLA-D tying was done using six different established homozygous typing cells defining the specificities Dw1-Dw5 and Dw11, plus one locally defined typing cell. None of the HLA-A, -B or -D determinants showed a significant deviation in frequency from control populations. Of interest may be a decrease of B8 and an increase of Bw16 (Bw38/39) and B27, but these deviations are not significant in their P values are corrected for the number of comparisons made.     

Distribution of HLA Antigens in a Mexican—American Population and a Comparison with Two Similar Populations from Different Geographical Locales

The frequencies of 32 HLA antigens of the A and B series were determined in a previously unstudied population of Mexican-Americans in South Texas. The phenotype and gene frequencies for this group are presented and are contrasted with those determined in studies of Mexican/Mexican--American populations from two different locales. The statistically significant differences observed emphasize the need for indigenous controls when evaluating racially heterogeneous populations for disease-associated HLA antigens.     

HL-A Antigens in a Chinese Population

The HL-A antigens of a Chinese population now living on the island of Taiwan have been investigated with reagents obtained from and characterized in Caucasian populations and with antisera obtained from Chinese multiparous women. Both HL-A2, the most frequent specificity found, and HL-A9 appear highly heterogeneous in this Chinese population since groups of antisera used to define HL-A2 or 9 in Caucasians gave discordant reactions. Moreover, new associations were found using chi-square and cluster analyses, further demonstrating the complexity of HL-A in this Taiwanese population. Fourteen % of 1183 Chinese multipara sera and 237 sera from multiple tranfused individuals were lymphocytotoxic and could be placed by cluster analysis into three major groups.     

HLA Antigens in Alzheimer's Disease

The histocompatibility antigens of the A, B, and C loci were typed for 32 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 35 controls of the same age. The results were also compared to the distribution of HLA antigens in a series of 900 healthy blood donors. No statistically significant differences were found between the Alzheimer patients and the controls. HLA–Cw1 was found significantly less frequently in the group comprising the patients with Alzheimer's disease and their controls together, than in the younger blood donor group. This leads us to suggest that an age-matched control group may be needed, at least when the patients are elderly.