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Enterobacterial infection modulates major histocompatibility complex class I expression on mononuclear cells
Author(s) -
Juha Kirveskari,
Qing He,
Marjatta LeirisaloRepo,
O Mäki-Ikola,
Maarit Wuorela,
Anne Putto-Laurila,
Kaisa Granfors
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.297
H-Index - 133
eISSN - 1365-2567
pISSN - 0019-2805
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2567.1999.00803.x
Subject(s) - major histocompatibility complex , biology , mhc class i , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , immunology , human leukocyte antigen , antigen , genetics , in vitro
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I expression is reduced in several viral infections, but it is not known whether the same happens during infections caused by intracellular enterobacteria. In this study, the expression of MHC class I antigens on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 16 patients with Salmonella, Yersinia , or Klebsiella infection was investigated. During or after the acute infection, the expression of MHC class I antigens was markedly decreased in eight patients, all with genotype HLA‐B27, and six out of eight with reactive arthritis (ReA). A significant decrease of monomorphic MHC class I was found in three patients, of HLA‐B27 in eight ( P <0·05) and of HLA‐A2 in two. However, patients negative for the HLA‐B27 genotype, or healthy HLA‐B27‐positive individuals, did not have a significant decrease of MHC class I antigens. During the decreased expression on the cell surface, intracellular retention of MHC class I antigens was observed, whereas HLA‐B27 mRNA levels did not vary significantly. This is the first evidence that enterobacterial infection may down‐regulate expression of MHC class I molecules in vivo and that down‐regulation is predominant in patients with the HLA‐B27 genotype.