title: HLA-linked immune suppression in humans.
abstract: There is no doubt that HLA-DR molecules are acting as the products of HLA-linked immune response genes (Ir-genes), because (i) HLA-DR molecules are the restriction elements in the interaction between CD4+ helper T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APC) to respond to many antigens such as streptococcal cell wall antigen (SCW) (Nishimura & Sasazuki, 1983; Sone et al., 1985; Hizayama et al., 1986), schistosomal antigen (Sj) (Hirayama et al., 1987), Mycobacterium leprae antigen (ML) (Kikuchi et al., 1986) and so on; and (ii) anti-HLA-DR monoclonal antibodies completely abolish the immune response to those antigens (Nishimura & Sasazuki, 1983; Sone et al., 1985). However, genetic analysis of the immune response to those antigens in families or populations revealed that responsiveness is recessive and non-responsiveness to those antigens is a dominant genetic trait that is tightly linked to HLA (Sasazuki et al., 1980a, 1983; Watanabe et al., 1988). This is completely opposite to the situation under the Ir-gene control where responsiveness is dominant and non-responsiveness is recessive. In this paper, we report evidence of how we came across the concept of HLA-linked immune suppression genes (Is-genes) besides Ir-genes, and show evidence for the epistatic interaction between HLA-DR and DQ to determine the immune response to several antigens in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sasazuki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D005802:Genes, MHC Class II; D006681:HLA-D Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance
chemical_list: D006681:HLA-D Antigens