title: Epstein-Barr virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes as probes of HLA polymorphism. Heterogeneity of T cell-restricting determinants associated with the serologically defined HLA-A2 antigen.
abstract: Epstein-Barr (EB) virus-specific effector T cell lines were established from nine virus-immune donors positive for the serologically defined HLA-A2 antigen; of these, four lines contained a demonstrable A2-restricted cytotoxic component. When these four effector populations were each tested on the same panel of EB virus-transformed lines from 20 HLA-A2-positive individuals, 16 of the target cell lines were consistently killed at levels above 25% of the relevant autologous cell lysis. Cytotoxicity appeared to be mediated through a restricting determinant associated with the 'common A2' antigen that these lines shared; indeed the lysis could be specifically blocked by high concentrations of an HLA-A2-specific monoclonal antibody. In contrast, 4 out of 20 target cell lines were not killed by HLA-A2-restricted effector cells, even though they did express the serologically defined A2 antigen and were found in other tests to be susceptible to EB virus-specific cytolysis restricted through other HLA-A or -B antigens on their surface. These results suggest that EB virus-specific cytotoxic T cells can distinguish between serologically identical HLA-A2 molecules via the heterogeneity of their T cell-restricting determinants. Data from one of the effector cell populations further suggested that a serologically defined cross-reaction between the otherwise distinct HLA-A2 and -Bw57 antigens might also be reflected in a cross-reactivity of T cell-restricting determinants.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens