To determine possible correlations between the selective loss of HLA-class-I allelic forms on neoplastic cells and their biological-clinical characteristics, 89 squamous-cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix were evaluated immunohistochemically using monomorphic and polymorphic antibodies against HLA-A, -B, and -C molecules and analyzed clinico-pathologically. Four of the carcinomas exhibited a lack of detectable class-I heavy-chain expression associated with beta 2-microglobulin. In 19 of 42 HLA-A2-positive patients, tumor cells revealed loss of the HLA-A2 allelic product. Loss of HLA-B7 and/or 40 (B7/40) allelic product(s) on tumor cells was observed in 12 of 25 HLA-B7/40-positive cases. These alterations did not correlate with patient age, clinical stage (FIGO) of the disease, histological sub-type (WHO) or depth of cervical invasion. However, a statistically significant correlation was observed between lymph-node metastases and selective loss of HLA-B7/40 allelic product(s), but not with HLA-A2 allelic product on cancer cells of the primary lesion. Our results indicate that selective loss of certain HLA-class-I alleles on neoplastic cells can influence the nodal metastatic potential and suggest that these 2 class-I molecules may have different immune functions as restriction elements in T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Both MRL-lpr/lpr (lpr) and BXSB mice fall victim to autoimmune disease as a function of age. To combine their properties, brother-sister mating of (female lpr x male BXSB)F1 mice was done. Mice for mating were selected according to indicators of early onset of glomerulonephritis and subsequent early death (i.e., EOD). This mating was continued for more than 16 generations. The EOD mice thus established had homozygous H-2k/k, lpr/lpr, and possible yaa/- (in the case of males). The average life span of males was 83 days while that of females was 126 days. After 12 weeks of age, the majority (> 80%) of male EOD mice were characterized by the abnormality of urine due to glomerulonephritis. We then characterized how glomerulonephritis was evoked, especially in terms of expanding lymphocyte subsets in various immune organs. Similar to the case of parental lpr mice, the major expanding cells were CD4-8-B220+ TCRint cells in the immune organs and kidney. In addition, myeloid cells were found to infiltrate the kidney. This massive infiltration of both TCRint cells and myeloid cells might be responsible for the onset of acute glomerulonephritis. Even after more than 50 generations, these EOD mice still carry both lpr and yaa genes. These results suggest that EOD mice might be a very useful tool for the study of acute lupus glomerulonephritis which is evoked by the genetic abnormalities.

We describe two second cousins who developed systemic sclerosis. These patients had major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I alleles in common, including A2, A26(10), B60 (40), and Cw7 as well as class II allele DR2. This DR2 was thought to be associated with the onset of the disease. Our patients both experienced a limited type of systemic sclerosis, but the expression of autoantibodies was different.