COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION OF T-CELL BETA-RECEPTOR AND HLA-DQ ALLELES INTHE PRODUCTION OF ANTI-RO IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

The immunogenetics of the autoantibody response to Ro (or SS-A) have b een explored in patients with systemic lupus erythematous. Data show t hat alleles of the T cell beta receptor and HLA-DQ loci are cooperativ ely associated with the presence of anti-Re autoantibodies in systemic lupus erythematosus. Identification of HLA-DQ by oligonucleotide prob e binding to polymerase chain reaction products demonstrates that the combination of DQB10201 and one of DQA1*0101, DQA1*0102, or DQA1*0103 is associated with anti-Re. Patients possessing a particular pair of T cell receptor beta restriction enzyme polymorphisms along with these specific HLA-DQ alleles produce quantitatively more anti-Re as measur ed by a sensitive solid-phase immunoassay than patients without these T cell receptor and DQ alleles. Other work has shown that the autoimmu ne response is directed against the human Ro antigen. These results ar e consistent with a central role in the disregulation of autoimmunity involving a trimolecular complex composed of the autoantigen bound by a HLA-DQ molecule which, together, are bound in turn by T cells which express a particular subset of T cell receptors. (C) 1994 Academic Pre ss, Inc.