Shared SstI RFLPs by HLA-Aw19, A23/24 and A3/11 crossreacting groups

Three novel restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have been identified using a pan-HLA class I probe and the endonuclease SstI. This study, in conjunction with previously reported SstI RFLPs, now allows the identification of the HLA-crossreacting antigens Aw19 (A29/30/31/32/w33), A23/24 and A3/11 by specific hybridization patterns with a single enzyme/probe combination. Three of the corresponding polymorphic SstI restriction sites map within the HLA-A gene and generate two allelic RFLPs (5.06, 5.92 kb) and one single RFLP (5.92 kb) that show an absolute correlation with HLA-A23/24 and A29/32 crossreacting antigens, respectively. However, other SstI RFLPs (7.97, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8 and 13.34 kb), also linked to HLA-A crossreacting antigens, map outside the HLA-A gene and probably correspond to non-HLA-A,B,C class I genes in strong linkage disequilibrium with the HLA-A gene. These data show that HLA-A crossreacting antigens share more SstI RFLPs than neighboring non-HLA-A,B,C class I genes or pseudogenes; also, this has raised the possibility that some crossreacting HLA-A alloantisera might additionally recognize shared antigenic determinants in non-HLA-A,B,C proteins since the HLA-Aw19 crossreactivity cannot be fully explained by analyzing the HLA-A amino acid sequence.