A human autoreactive T cell line specific for minor histocompatibility antigen(s) isolated from a bone marrow-grafted...

A human autoreactive T cell line named Bur-1 has been obtained from a woman 4 mo after an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from one of her HLA-identical brothers. The phenotype of the cell line is 100% T11+ and over 90% T4+, and the karyotype confirms its donor (male) origin. These donor T cells proliferate specifically in the presence of donor's peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) but not recipient's cells, and they kill specifically donor's but not recipient's Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). PBM from another HLA-identical brother and from several unrelated donors also stimulate Bur-1 cells, and EBV-induced LCL from the same donors are killed in cytotoxicity assays. All of these donors share HLA-DR5 or HLA-DRw11 (the major split of HLA-DR5) with Bur-1 cells. However, some but not all of the PBM sharing HLA-DR5 with Bur-1 cells are recognized. Therefore, in contrast with the previously described autoreactive T cells, Bur-1 cells are not directed against self-MHC antigens but rather recognize autologous minor histocompatibility (mH) antigens in the context of autologous HLA class II molecules. Because both male and female cells can be recognized, the reacting minor antigen could not be the male-specific HY antigen. It is suggested that autoreactivity against mH antigens can be observed in bone marrow-grafted patients due to the education of bone marrow donor precursors in the recipient thymus not allowing tolerance to autologous (donor) mH antigens not shared by the recipient.