title: Clinical utility of serologic HLA-DR antigen identification using activated T lymphocytes.
abstract: Clinical experience has shown that it is often difficult to identify HLA-DR antigens on peripheral blood from long-term dialysis patients, leukemic patients, or blood in poor condition due to age of specimen or delivery conditions. We have found that we can accurately detect HLA-DR antigens on peripheral blood T cells that have been activated with PHA and expanded with commercially available Interleukin 2. An advantage of this technique is that a minimal number of peripheral blood cells is required at the initiation of T-cell activation. The expansion of T cells to a number sufficient for HLA-DR analysis requires 7 to 10 days. To test the validity of this protocol, we analyzed the HLA-DR antigens on a total of 13 normal donors using both conventional techniques and activated T cells. In every case, HLA-DR detection was identical by both methods, and no false positive or negative reactions were observed. Next, we used activated T cells to analyze the HLA-DR antigens in patients that had been difficult or impossible to DR type using conventional methods. We successfully identified HLA-DR antigens on 16 of 16 bone marrow transplant candidates who were previously untypable. We also identified HLA-DR antigens in all of the eight renal dialysis patients who had been untypable on several previous occasions. Subsequent phenotypic analysis of family members for those patients confirmed that the HLA-DR antigens genetically transmitted from family were detected by this method. In summary, we consider that activated T cells can be used effectively and reliably for analysis of HLA-DR antigens for patients who are otherwise difficult to type by conventional methods.
mesh_terms: D001793:Blood Preservation; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins