Generation of alloantigen-stimulated anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity is associated with HLA-A*02 expression

Stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with allogeneic PBMC (ALLO) can result in activity that inhibits the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The present study demonstrates that strong anti-HIV activity is dependent on expression of HLA-A*02 by the responding PBMC. Anti-HIV activity was equally effective against 2 primary isolates that use different coreceptors. Neither ALLO-stimulated cell proliferation nor cytokine and beta -chemokine production was associated with the expression of HLA-A*02. ALLO-stimulated production of strong anti-HIV activity required intact PBMC and was not inhibited by monoclonal antibodies directed against nonpolymorphic regions of human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Anti-HIV activity was generated by ALLO-stimulated CD4(+) cells, CD8(+) T lymphocytes, and monocytes from HLA-A*02-positive patients. These findings provide the first evidence that the production of an HIV inhibitory factor or factors is associated with certain HLA genes and raise new possibilities concerning the role of the major histocompatibility complex in controlling viral infections via alloantigen stimulation.