Detection of HLA-A*24 null alleles by DNA typing methods

Abstract: A number of cases have been identified (seven unrelated individuals from the Northern Ireland bone marrow donor registry and two family groups) where an HLA-A*24 allele fails to express the normal HLA-A24 antigen. Family information has revealed common haplotypes with respect to each non-expressed allele indicating that the occurrence of these mutations has been a recent event. Two methods for the clinical typing of these alleles have been evaluated - PCR-SSOP and PCR-SSCP analysis.     

HLA-A26等位基因与银屑病环境危险因素的交互作用

目的：研究银屑病HLA－A26等位基因与环境危险因素之间的交互作用。方法：采用病例对照研究方法，调查190例银屑病患者及同一地区的健康对照191例，用多聚酶链反应－序列特异性引物（PCR－SSP）方法进行HLA－A26等位基因检测，对银屑病的环境危险因素及与HLA－A等位基因间交互作用进行研究。结果：（1）受潮、感染、外伤、嗜酒、吸烟、食鱼虾、药物和精神紧张均为银屑病的环境危险因素。（2）与正常对照组相比，HLA－A26等位基因与银屑病呈显著正相关（P＜0．001）。（3）HLA－A26等位基因与受潮、嗜酒和食鱼虾存在显著交互作用。结论：HLA－A26等位基因似能增加受潮、嗜酒和食鱼虾发生银屑病的易患性。     

Two tyrosinase nonapeptides recognized on HLA-A2 melanomas by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes

A number of cytolytic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones derived from several melanoma patients have been found to recognize a majority of melanomas from HLA-A2 patients. We have reported previously that two such CTL clones recognize a product of the tyrosinase gene that is presented by HLA-A2. Here we show that one of these CTL clones recognizes a peptide encoded by the first nine amino acids of the putative signal sequence of tyrosinase. The other CTL clone recognizes a different tyrosinase peptide corresponding to amino acids 368–376. Both peptides contain consensus motifs of HLA-A2 binding peptides.     

HLA-A9 antibodies and epitopes

Fifty pregnancy alloantisera directed towards HLA-A23 and/or A24 antigens were investigated serologically in titration studies against the three sequenced HLA-A9 specificities, A23 (A*2301), A24 (A*2402) and A2403 (A*2403). The reaction patterns of the antisera fell into five categories which allowed the three HLA-A9 specificities to be easily differentiated. Based on the various titre cytotoxicity scores of the antisera five possible antibody specificities were defined: anti-A23; -A24; -A23/24; -A24/2403 and anti-A23/24/2403. One antiserum crossreacted with HLA-A1 and A24. Inspection of the amino acid sequences of 136 HLA-A, B and C molecules allowed the prediction of five unique epitopes corresponding to these antibody specificities, a possible epitope unique to A2403 and confirmation of a likely epitope shared by A1 and A24. These, together with the previously suggested epitopes HLA-A9/ A2/A28 and A1/A23/A24 together with the presence of Bw4 on the three HLA-A9 antigens suggests that the HLA-A9 family of antigens is characterized by a minimum of nine serologically definable epitopes.     

Identification of a novel gp100/pMel17 peptide presented by HLA-A*6801 and recognized on human melanoma by cytolytic T cell clones

Melanoma-associated peptides recognized by cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL) in the context of several histocompatibility leukocyte antigens (HLA) are required for the development of specific immunotherapies. Using a transient transfection assay into COS-7 cells, we identified the gp100/pMel17 melanosomal protein as the shared antigen recognized by three independent CD8+ CTL clones in HLA-A*6801-restricted fashion. This finding was confirmed by the correlation between lack of gp100/pMel17 protein in a number of HLA-A*6801-positive melanomas and their resistance to lysis/cytokine production by the specific effectors. The gp100/pMel17 antigenic epitope was identified based on recognition of subfragments and on a computer-based prediction algorithm. Among a panel of gp100/pMel17-derived synthetic peptides only the 10-mer HTMEVTVYHR (gp100/pMel17182-191) induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) release by CTL clones when pulsed on suitable target cells whereas both the 10-mer and the shorter 9-mer gp100/pMel17183-191 sensitized the same antigen-pulsed cells to lysis. In conclusion, the identification of the HTMEVTVYHR peptide will extend to HLA-A*6801 melanoma patients the possibility to exploit gp100/pMel17 melanosomal protein for experimental and clinical studies.     

Melanocyte lysis by cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing the MART-1 melanoma antigen in HLA-A2 patients with Vogt Koyanagi Harada disease

The MART-1/Melan-A melanoma antigen recognized by the majorityof HLA-A2-restricted tumorinfiltrating lymphocytes is a selfantigen expressed on melanocytes and the retina. We have investigatedwhether Vogt–Koyanagi–Harada (VKH) disease and sympatheticophthalmia (SO), systemic inflammatory disorders affecting variousorgans containing melanocytes, are autoimmune diseases directedtoward the MART-1 antigen. In two of three patients with VKHdisease and one patient with SO, CD8⁺ T cell clones (TCC) fromintraocular fluid of HLA-A2⁺ patients lysed T2 cells when pulsedwith a HLA-A2-binding MART-1 peptide, but not a HLA-A2-bindingpMel-17 or tyrosinase peptide, in a HLA-A2-restricted manner.These CD8⁺ TCC lysed both melanocytes and melanoma cells ina HLA-A2-restricted manner. In addition, CD8⁺ TCC recognizinga HLA-A2-binding MART-1 peptide were also established from peripheralblood mononuclear cells of a patient with VKH disease. In contrast,either CD4⁺ TCC from these patients or CD8⁺ TCC from the intraocularfluid of HLA-A2⁺ patients with uveitis associated with Behcet'sdisease or HTLV-I uveitis did not show this cytotoxicity. Theresults demonstrate that the MART-1 peptide-specific cytotoxicT lymphocytes lyse melanocytes in the eye of patients with VKHdisease or SO, suggesting that these diseases are autoimmunediseases directed toward the MART-1 antigen in HLA-A2⁺ patients.     

HLA-A*0201与EGFP融合蛋白表达载体的构建及其在K562细胞的表达和定位

目的:构建增强型绿色荧光蛋白(EGFP)与HLA-A^*0201(A^*0201)融合蛋白哺乳动物细胞表达载体,分析其在K562细胞中的表达和亚细胞定位。方法:以RT-PCR方法克隆A^*0201cDNA,构建A^*0201-EGFP融合蛋白表达载体,转染K562细胞,以流式细胞仪和激光共聚焦显微镜分析融合蛋白的表达及其亚细胞定位。结果:从两个HLA-A2阳性供者外周血细胞中克隆到A^*0201cDNA编码区全长序列。通过PCR方法在起始位点前加入Kozak序列并删除终止密码,成功构建A^*0201-EGFP融合蛋白表达载体。以该质粒转染K562细胞,5h后A^*0201和EGFP的表达百分率分别为25.12±2.26、27.37±3.59,24h后表达水平无明显提高。表达的融合蛋白主要分布于细胞膜上,胞内分布较少。相反,转染空载体的细胞不表达A^*0201分子,仅表达EGFP,且其在细胞内呈弥散样分布。结论:成功构建A^*0201-EGFP融合蛋白表达载体,并在K562细胞中得到表达,表达产物主要分布于细胞膜表面,提示表达该融合蛋白的K562细胞是潜在的人工抗原提呈细胞。     

Novel HLA-A*11 allele, A*1120, identified by sequence-based typing

In this report, we describe the identification of a human leucocyte antigen-A*11 (HLA-A*11) nucleotide sequence variant, a new HLA-A*1120 by using sequence-based typing (SBT). The new allele was detected during routine HLA typing by high-resolution SBT. Allele A*1120 showed one nucleotide difference with A*110101 at codon 152 (GCG-->GAG) resulting in an amino acid change from alanine to glutamate. Residue 152 is located on alpha(2)-helix of HLA class I molecule and involved in peptide binding by constructing E pocket of peptide-binding groove, implying that the change of the residue 152 would affect the binding affinity of peptides to A*1120 allele.     

HLA-A*0203-BSP的表达和复性及其四聚体的鉴定

目的：优化诱导条件大批量表达生物素化酶BirA底物肽（BSP）与HLA-A＊0203重链胞外域的融合蛋白（HLA—A＊0203、BSP），并制备负载HLA-A＊0203限制性EB病毒抗原肽EBNA3 596-604的四聚体（HIA—A}0203／SVR）。方法：以HLA—A＊0203-BSP原核表达载体转化E．coli BL21（DE3）菌株，优化诱导条件进行大批量重组蛋白的表达。通过稀释法复性可溶性HLA-A＊0203／SVR单体，然后以BirA对其进行生物素化，并以阴离子交换树脂纯化。将纯化的HLA-A＊0203／SVR单体与荧光素标记的链亲和素按4：1的比例混合形成四聚体，通过对特异性CTL进行染色验证其结合活性。结果：当IPTG的浓度为0．4mmol／L，于37℃诱导过夜后，融合蛋白的表达最多。该重组蛋白相对分子质量（Mr）为34003，与HLA—A＊0203-BSP的理论Mr相一致。该重组蛋白以包涵体形式存在于沉淀部分，约占菌体总蛋白的30％。负载抗原肽的可溶性HLA-A＊0203／SVR单体是在同时存在HLA-A＊0203，BSP、β2微球蛋白及HLA-A＊0203限制性抗原肽SVR的情况下通过稀释法复性而获得。该单体生物素化并纯化后与荧光素标记的链亲和素按4：1的比例混合后即形成四聚体。流式细胞术（FCM）分析证实，该四聚体具有与HLA—A2^＋供者特异性CTL结合的活性。结论：HLA—A＊0203-BSP融合蛋白在优化条件下获得高效表达。以此蛋白制备的HLA-A＊0203／SVR四聚体具有与HLA-A2^＋供者特异性CTL结合的活性，为研究HLA—A＊0203个体EB病毒特异性CTL的免疫应答打下了基础。