AN ANTIGEN-PROCESSING POLYMORPHISM REVEALED BY HLA-B8-RESTRICTED CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES WHICH DOES NOT CORRELATE WITH TAP GENE POLYMORPHISM

In previous studies of antigen presentation through HLA-B27. we identi fied a healthy person whose lymphoblastoid cells do not present three B27-restricted viral epitopes to specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL ), despite adequate cell surface expression of HLA-B2702 of normal seq uence. Similar findings were observed in all members of his family sha ring the HLA-A3-B2702 haplotype.The original donor, NW, carries HLA-B8 on his other class I haplotype, which his daughter, HW, has inherited . We now report a failure to present an HLA-B8-restricted epitope from influenza nucleoprotein following viral infection of NW cells, althou gh exogenous added peptide is still presented normally. However, cells from HW, which do not carry the A3-B2702 haplotype. present the expec ted epitope after viral infection. Another B8-restricted epitope. from human immunodeficiency virus-gag, is presented equally well by both c ell lines when infected with gag-vaccinia. This antigen processing phe notype does not correlate with any of the known human TAP-1 and TAP-2 polymorphisms.