HLA class II restriction repertoire of antigen-specific T cells. I. The main restriction determinants for antigen presentation are associated with HLA-D/DR and not with DP and DQ.

In order to study the HLA class II restriction repertoire in antigen presentation to T cells, T lymphoblasts (T-LB) of ten different HLA class II donors were generated by a simple and rapid technique; peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were restimulated in vitro with purified protein derivative (PPD) or tetanus toxoid (TET), and then propagated in interleukin-2 containing conditioned medium (IL2-CM). These T-LB appeared to be antigen specific and devoid of alloreactivity. Antigen was presented to these T-LB by allogeneic irradiated PBL as antigen-presenting cells (APC) in 179 combinations. T-LB proliferative responses were restricted mainly by determinants associated with HLA-DR and not with -DP or -DQ; in 102 fully DR mismatched T-LB/APC combinations matching for DP or DQ determinants had no significant influence on T-LB responses. For PPD, preferential DR1 restriction was observed, and the results suggest a preferential DRw11 vs. DRw12 restriction for TET. Moreover, DRw13 may be associated with low anti-PPD T-LB responsiveness.