QUANTITATION OF SOLUBLE HLA CLASS-I HETERODIMERS AND BETA(2)-MICROGLOBULIN IN PATIENTS WITH ACTIVE PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS

beta(2)m serum levels have been shown to be increased in patients with tuberculosis and HIV infection. We determined the stability of beta(2 )m and of sHLA-I dimers in serum, and then determined the levels of bo th molecules in 60 non-HIV-infected patients with active pulmonary tub erculosis and in 55 adult controls. The levels of sHLA-I in samples ke pt at room temperature declined by 8% at 30 minutes, 16% at 60 minutes , and 36% at 120 minutes, beta(2)m levels remained stable at all times tested. Mean sHLA-I levels were 0.99 +/- 0. 16 mu g/ml in controls an d 1.34 +/- O. 11 mu g/ml in patients with tuberculosis (P < 0.0001). b eta(2)m levels were 1.25 +/- 0.26 mu g/ml in controls and 2.26 +/- 0.6 4 mu g/ml in patients with tuberculosis (P < 0.0001). All patients wit h tuberculosis had elevation of sHLA-I and/or beta(2)m above 1 standar d deviation of normal values. However, there was no correlation betwee n sHLA-I and beta(2)m levels in individual samples. Evaluation of sHLA -I holds the promise of further understanding of the biology and genet ic regulation of the immune response to mycobacterial infection.