Distinctive KIR and HLA diversity in a panel of north Indian Hindus.

HLA and KIR are diverse and rapidly evolving gene complexes that work together in human immunity mediated by cytolytic lymphocytes. Understanding their complex immunogenetic interaction requires study of both HLA and KIR diversity in the same human population. Here a panel of 72 unrelated north Indian Hindus was analyzed.

Identification of a new HLA-B*78 allele in a Hispanic family.

A new B*78 variant, B*7804, was detected in three members of a Hispanic family. The novel B*78 sequence differs from B*78021 by two substitutions: T at nucleotide 527 (all other B*78s have A) and T at nucleotide 583 (all other B*78s have a C). Both nucleotide substitutions encode amino acid changes at codons 152 and 171, respectively.

Definition of peptide binding motifs amongst the HLA-A*30 allelic group.

HLA class I molecules present endogenously processed peptide ligands for surveillance by the T-cell receptor. This potentially immunogenic surface of HLA and peptide is a consequence of the polymorphism found within the HLA molecule and its preference for ligand binding together with peptide conformation within the binding groove. To investigate the relation between the polymorphic differences between some closely related HLA alleles and their effect on peptide preference, transfectants were established, each containing one of four allelic variants of HLA-A*30.

Influence of HLA supertypes on susceptibility and resistance to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection.

Certain human leukocyte antigens, by presenting conserved immunogenic epitopes for T cell recognition, may, in part, account for the observed differences in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) susceptibility. To determine whether HLA polymorphism influences HIV-1 susceptibility, a longitudinal cohort of highly HIV-1-exposed female sex workers based in Nairobi, Kenya, was prospectively analyzed. Decreased HIV-1 infection risk was strongly associated with possession of a cluster of closely related HLA alleles (A2/6802 supertype; incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.

Complete sequence analysis of the A*1103 allele.

Here we report the full-length sequence of a novel A*11 variant. The variant was identified by ARMS-PCR and serology, the sequence was confirmed by cloning and subsequent sequencing. This variant, A*1103, found in a family of oriental origin, resembles the A*1101 sequence in exon 2 but differs in exon 3 with regard to codons 151 and 152.