HLA molecules in autoimmune diseases.

The association of certain autoimmune diseases with HLA molecules is being refined through the use of sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes and amino acid sequencing, together with continuing elucidation of the functional features of HLA molecules derived from the milestone description by Bjorkman of the HLA molecular structure. The association of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and HLA began with weak associations of Class I antigens (B8 and B15) and progressed to Class II antigens (DR3 and DR4), then to subtypes of DR4 (Dw4, 10, and 14), and now to DQ molecules including the absence of aspartic acid at position 57 of the DQ beta chain and the presence of arginine at position 52 of the DQ alpha chain. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the HLA antigen association remains with certain Class II molecules of the DR series (DR4 and DR1) that share amino acid sequences with a restricted number of other DR antigens seen in RA, as well as a segment of the gp 110 protein of the Epstein-Barr virus. Although ankylosing spondylitis has a strong association with the Class I antigen B27, that association is not explained by any of the B27 subtypes defined by monoclonal antibodies, by the eight variable amino acids in B27 subtypes, or by the two unique amino acids on B27. The remarkable antibody cross-reactivity among lymphocytes bearing B27, a synthetic peptide sequence (63-84) of B27, and the 188-193 sequence of K. pneumoniae nitrogenase has provided strong support for molecular mimicry being an important mechanism in the association of HLA molecules with disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)