title: The distribution of a specific HLA-B27-associated cell surface component on the tissues of patients with ankylosing spondylitis.
abstract: In this paper, we report the presence on Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines on platelets and on fibroblasts of an HLA-B27-associated cell surface complex (antigenically related to some antigens of Klebsiella K43 and K21) which is identical to or cross-reactive with the determinant present on the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of B27-positive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). By contrast, no Klebsiella K43 markers could be demonstrated on the spermatozoa of B27+ AS+ individuals even though these cells expressed the HLA-B27 alloantigen. No B27-associated K43 antigen was detected on the erythrocytes of patients or of normal controls. The B27-associated membrane marker is still detectable on lymphoblastoid cell lines after 20 generations and on fibroblasts after about 10 generations. This finding implies that the continued expression of Klebsiella-modified B27 structure is generally determined and does not require the repeated exposure of the cell surface to Klebsiella antigen. These data suggest that certain non-lymphoid as well as lymphoid cells may be involved in the complex sequence of events leading to the clinical manifestation of AS.
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen; D006801:Humans; D007709:Klebsiella / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology; D013167:Spondylitis, Ankylosing / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015796:HLA-B27 Antigen