SUBTYPES OF HLA-ANTIGENS CLASS-I DETECTED BY CYTOTOXIC LYMPHOCYTE-T

Serologically homogenous HLA-class I specificities can he divided into subtypes on the basis of their reactivity with cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL). In the present study CTL were generated specific for antigen HLA-B35 and HLA-B7, respectively. These CTL were shown to detect subtypes of serologically defined antigens. Thus antigen HLA-B35 could be subdivided into two subtypes using CTL specific for HLA-B35 antigen and one subtype of antigen HLA-B7 was identified using CTL specific for this antigen. Blocking of antigen HLA-B35 with either allogeneic anti HLA-B35 antibody or monoclonal antibody against HLA class I molecules didn't inhibit the lysis of HLA-B35 positive cells with CTL suggesting that CTL distinguish different epitopes as antibodies.