Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DR specificities

HLA specificity of alloantibodies involved in antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) was investigated using PHA-induced lymphoblasts ( PLB ) from peripheral blood and Epstein-Barr virus-induced human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). The ADCC activity with PLB sensitized by HLA-A or HLA-B antibodies was relatively low, but higher than that of control. DR antibodies completely failed to sensitize PLB for ADCC. LCL sensitized by corresponding DR antibodies gave strong ADCC reactions, independent from their D phenotypes. The ADCC reactions against LCL were abolished by absorption of the DR antibodies from the alloantisera. Thus the ADCC with LCL would provide a procedure to study the role of DR antibodies in chronic rejection of long-term renal allografts.