Strong association between major histocompatibility complex class I antigens and immune aberrations among healthy...

Immune reactivity indicators studied among 55 unrelated Venezuelan mestizo subjects included lymphoproliferative response to polyclonal mitogen (PHA, Con A, PwM) stimulation, NK cell activity, and enumeration of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ antigens were determined by serologic typing. A strong association between impairment of the parameters studied and MHC class I antigens A11 and A3 was found. Subjects with decreased suboptimal (0.5 micrograms/ml) PHA response as well as decreased optimal (0.5 micrograms/ml) Con A response showed high incidence of HLA-A11 antigen (RR = 81, p = 0.001, pc = 0.021 and RR = 54, p = 0.0029, respectively). Subjects with decreased suboptimal (0.5 micrograms/ml) PHA response HLA-A11- with only one exception, were either HLA-A1+ or HLA-A3+. These antigens belong to the same CREG, share public epitopes, and have low incidence in the Venezuelan mestizo population. Six of 10 persons with decreased CD16 subset count (5.17% +/- 0.23% vs 11.69% +/- 0.44%) had HLA-A3 antigen (RR = 17, p = 0.001, pc = 0.021). The data indicate a possible contribution of HLA-A11,A3, molecules through their private and/or public determinants to immune response aberrations which under certain conditions may result in development of diseases.