Recognition of human minor alloantigen(s) by cytotoxic lymphocytes in vitro

Lymphocytes from an extensively transfused patient with aplastic anemia were induced to cytotoxicity against target cells from several HLA-matched siblings by in vitro stimulation with allogeneic cells. Effective stimulating cells shared HLA-B7 with the patient, but not all B7 individuals were effective. An additional factor, which was found to segregate in both the patient's and an unrelated sibship, was also necessary. Segregation of this minor alloantigen, W, was also revealed among the patient's HLA-matched sibs by differential susceptibility to lysis by effectors from the patient. The ratio of six positive to four negative siblings suggests that the antigen difference might be coded by a single locus. Lymphocytes from a normal sib, who like the patient is lacking the minor antigen, could not be induced to cytotoxicity against positive targets. Thus in vivo sensitization of the donor of the responding cells appears to be necessary for the demonstration of the cytotoxic response to the minor antigen in vitro. No correlation was observed between the segregation pattern of W and of known blood group antigens, and no cytotoxic antibody to W was detected in the patient's serum in several trials.