title: Characterization of T lymphocyte and monocyte populations in HLA B8/DRw3 normal individuals and in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis.
abstract: Normal individuals who possess the HLA B8/DRw3 haplotype as well as patients with dermatitis herpetiformis have been found to have a number of immunologic abnormalities including decreased numbers of E rosette-positive, Fc IgG receptor-bearing lymphocytes (referred to as TG cells), and increased numbers of cells which spontaneously secrete immunoglobulin. HLA B8/DRw3-positive normal individuals also have an increased risk for the development of a number of immunologically mediated diseases. Since many of these findings are suggestive of B-cell hyperreactivity and since TG cells were initially thought to represent a portion of the T suppressor cell network, we have examined the peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cell populations of 14 normal HLA B8/DRw3-positive individuals, 14 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (all of whom were HLA B8/DRw3-positive), and 9 non-HLA B8/DRw3 individuals using flow cytometry and monoclonal antibodies of the OK and Leu series directed against cell surface antigens. Normal HLA B8/DRw3 individuals were found to have a significantly lower percentage of PBM cells that expressed both OKT8 and Leu-2a when compared to normal non-HLA B8/DRw3 individuals (p less than .05 Student's t-test). When the ratio of T helper cells (OKT4 and Leu-3a) to T suppressor cells (OKT8 and Leu-2a) was calculated for each individual studied, normal HLA B8/DRw3 individuals were found to have a significantly elevated ratio (Leu-3a/Leu-2a = 2.41 +/- .16, mean +/- SEM) when compared to non-HLA selected individuals (Leu-3a/Leu-2a = 1.73 +/- .05) (p less than 0.025). In addition, normal HLA B8/DRw3 individuals had decreased numbers of TG cells when compared to normal non-HLA B8/DRw3 individuals (B8/DRw3 = 6.4 +/- .74%, non-B8/DRw3 = 13.2 +/- 1.0%, mean +/- SEM, p less than .01). In order to determine the cell surface marker characteristics of TG cells, purified TG cells from both normal HLA B8/DRw3 individuals and non-HLA B8/DRw3 individuals were studied using the Leu series monoclonal antibodies and OKM1. Good agreement was found in the percentages of cells expressing each cell surface marker between the two groups. In addition, the TG cells were found to be predominately T cells (78% Leu-1-positive), with both T helper cells (40% Leu-3a-positive) and T suppressor cells (30% Leu-2a-positive) present. These results suggest that the suppressor cell activity associated with the TG subset is not due to a depletion of the T helper cell subset, and that the decreased numbers of TG cells in HLA B8/DRw3 individuals is not due to a preferential loss of cells bearing Leu-1, Leu-2a, Leu-3a, or OKM1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D006680:HLA Antigens; D015795:HLA-B8 Antigen; D015803:HLA-DR3 Antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II