Kuijpers R W, von dem Borne A E, Kiefel V, Eckhardt C M, Waters A H, Zupanska B, Barz D, Taaning E, Termijtelen A, Ouwehand W H
Department of Immunologic Hematology, Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Serivce, Amsterdam.
Hum Immunol. 1992 Aug;34(4):253-6. doi: 10.1016/0198-8859(92)90024-h.
Alloantibody formation against HPA-1a (Zwa/PIA1) has, to date, only been found in HLA-DRw52(a+) (Dw24) individuals. Alloimmunization against the product of the other HPA-1 allele, HPA-1b, is rare. We have been able to evaluate ten cases of HPA-1b alloimmunization in Europe in order to study whether there is an association between HLA phenotype and anti-HPA-1b antibody formation. HLA typing of these patients was performed with particular attention to the DRw52a specificity using specific T-cell clones. No association with DRw52a or any other known HLA phenotype was found. This finding implies that the amino acid substitution leucine33-proline33 in GPIIIa, responsible for HPA-1a/b, is of primary importance for the association of anti-HPA-1a antibody formation with DRw52a. These data show that the amino acid polymorphism affects the presentation of the immunogenic oligopeptides of HPA-1a and -1b in the HLA class-II groove.
