Recognition of major histoincompatibilities after transplantation with marrow from HLA closely matched donors.
BACKGROUND
To determine the extent to which major histoincompatibilities are recognized after bone marrow transplantation, we characterized the specificity of the cytotoxic T lymphocytes isolated during graft-versus-host disease. We studied three patients transplanted with marrow from donors who were histoincompatible for different types of HLA antigens.


METHODS
Patient 1 was mismatched for one "ABDR-antigen" (HLA-A2 versus A3). Two patients were mismatched for antigens that would usually not be taken into account by standard selection procedures: patient 2 was mismatched for an "HLA-A subtype" (A*0213 versus A*0201), whereas patient 3 was mismatched for HLA-C (HLA-C*0501 versus HLA-C*0701). All three HLA class I mismatches were detected by a pretransplant cytotoxic precursor test.


RESULTS
Analysis of the specificity of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte clones isolated after transplantation showed that the incompatibilities detected by the pretransplant cytotoxic precursor assay were the targets recognized during graft-versus-host disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Independent of whether the incompatibility consisted of a "full" mismatch, a "subtype" mismatch, or an HLA-C mismatch, all clones recognized the incompatible HLA molecule. In addition, some of these clones had undergone antigen selection and were clearly of higher specificity than the ones established before transplantation, indicating that they had been participating directly in the antihost immune response.
Rufer
N
N
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
Helg
C
C
Tiercy
J M
JM
Barbey
C
C
Gratwohl
A
A
Chapuis
B
B
Jeannet
M
M
Roosnek
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D015235:HLA-B Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D015236:HLA-C Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology
D006680:HLA Antigens; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D015791:HLA-A3 Antigen; D015235:HLA-B Antigens; D015236:HLA-C Antigens