Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1991 Feb;44(2):107–114. doi: 10.1136/jcp.44.2.107

Class I and class II major histocompatibility complex antigens on hepatocytes: importance of the method of detection and expression in histologically normal and diseased livers.

G Senaldi 1, A Lobo-Yeo 1, A P Mowat 1, G Mieli-Vergani 1, D Vergani 1
PMCID: PMC496970  PMID: 1864983

Abstract

Methodological differences in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigen detection were investigated on isolated, viable hepatocytes and cryostat hepatic sections from 27 children with liver disorders, six of whom had normal histology. Class I antigens were constantly found on sections using a three step immunoperoxidase technique after acetone/chloroform fixation, other techniques being less sensitive, or on isolated hepatocytes by indirect immunofluorescence alone. With mechanical isolation the percentage of positivity ranged from 85 to 100%, while with collagenase isolation it ranged from 22 to 49% on immediate testing, and from 53 to 80% after 24 hour incubation. Class II antigens were only detected in one patient with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis and two with primary sclerosing cholangitis. Flow cytofluorimetric analysis in 11 cases confirmed class II or class I positivity, or both, on isolated hepatocytes, allowing MHC antigen expression on hepatocytes to be measured. Class I and II antigen detection on hepatocytes is influenced by the technique used. Although class I antigens are invariably expressed on hepatocytes, class II antigens are only found on hepatocytes from patients with immune mediated liver disorders.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

109Image
on p.109
111Image
on p.111
111Image
on p.111
112Image
on p.112
112Image
on p.112
112Image
on p.112
112Image
on p.112
113Image
on p.113

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Amos D. B., Kostyu D. D. HLA--a central immunological agency of man. Adv Hum Genet. 1980;10:137-208, 385-6. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4615-8288-5_2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ballardini G., Bianchi F. B., Mirakian R., Fallani M., Pisi E., Bottazzo G. F. HLA-A,B,C, HLA-D/DR and HLA-D/DQ expression on unfixed liver biopsy sections from patients with chronic liver disease. Clin Exp Immunol. 1987 Oct;70(1):35–46. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barbatis C., Woods J., Morton J. A., Fleming K. A., McMichael A., McGee J. O. Immunohistochemical analysis of HLA (A, B, C) antigens in liver disease using a monoclonal antibody. Gut. 1981 Dec;22(12):985–991. doi: 10.1136/gut.22.12.985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Benacerraf B. Role of MHC gene products in immune regulation. Science. 1981 Jun 12;212(4500):1229–1238. doi: 10.1126/science.6165083. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Berah M., Hors J., Dausset J. A study of HL-A antigens in human organs. Transplantation. 1970 Mar;9(3):185–192. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197003000-00001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Brodsky F. M., Parham P. Monomorphic anti-HLA-A,B,C monoclonal antibodies detecting molecular subunits and combinatorial determinants. J Immunol. 1982 Jan;128(1):129–135. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chu C. M., Shyu W. C., Kuo R. W., Liaw Y. F. HLA class I antigen display on hepatocyte membrane in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: its role in the pathogenesis of chronic type B hepatitis. Hepatology. 1988 May-Jun;8(3):712–717. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840080358. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Daar A. S., Fuggle S. V., Fabre J. W., Ting A., Morris P. J. The detailed distribution of HLA-A, B, C antigens in normal human organs. Transplantation. 1984 Sep;38(3):287–292. doi: 10.1097/00007890-198409000-00018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Daar A. S., Fuggle S. V., Fabre J. W., Ting A., Morris P. J. The detailed distribution of MHC Class II antigens in normal human organs. Transplantation. 1984 Sep;38(3):293–298. doi: 10.1097/00007890-198409000-00019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. De Vos R., De Wolf-Peeters C., van den Oord J. J., Desmet V. Ultrastructural immunocytochemical demonstration of HLA class I antigens in human pathological liver tissue. Hepatology. 1985 Nov-Dec;5(6):1071–1075. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840050602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fleming K. A., McMichael A., Morton J. A., Woods J., McGee J. O. Distribution of HLA class 1 antigens in normal human tissue and in mammary cancer. J Clin Pathol. 1981 Jul;34(7):779–784. doi: 10.1136/jcp.34.7.779. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Fontana A., Fierz W., Wekerle H. Astrocytes present myelin basic protein to encephalitogenic T-cell lines. Nature. 1984 Jan 19;307(5948):273–276. doi: 10.1038/307273a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Franco A., Barnaba V., Natali P., Balsano C., Musca A., Balsano F. Expression of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex antigens on human hepatocytes. Hepatology. 1988 May-Jun;8(3):449–454. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840080302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Fukusato T., Gerber M. A., Thung S. N., Ferrone S., Schaffner F. Expression of HLA class I antigens on hepatocytes in liver disease. Am J Pathol. 1986 May;123(2):264–270. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Gerken G., Manns M., Ramadori G., Poralla T., Dienes H. P., Meyer zum Büschenfelde K. H. Liver membrane autoantibodies in chronic active hepatitis. Studies on mechanically and enzymatically isolated rabbit hepatocytes. J Hepatol. 1987 Aug;5(1):65–74. doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(87)80063-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Governa M., Biguzzi S. Beta2-microglobulin distribution in human normal tissues. Eur J Immunol. 1976 Nov;6(11):830–832. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830061115. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hardcastle J. D., Farrands P. A., Balfour T. W., Chamberlain J., Amar S. S., Sheldon M. G. Controlled trial of faecal occult blood testing in the detection of colorectal cancer. Lancet. 1983 Jul 2;2(8340):1–4. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)90001-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hubscher S. G., Adams D. H., Elias E. Beta-2-microglobulin expression in the liver after liver transplantation. J Clin Pathol. 1988 Oct;41(10):1049–1057. doi: 10.1136/jcp.41.10.1049. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Ikeda T., Pignatelli M., Lever A. M., Thomas H. C. Relationship of HLA protein display to activation of 2-5A synthetase in HBe antigen or anti-HBe positive chronic HBV infection. Gut. 1986 Dec;27(12):1498–1501. doi: 10.1136/gut.27.12.1498. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Ishii N., Klein J., Nagy Z. A. Different repertoires of mouse T cells for bovine insulin presented by syngeneic and allogeneic cells. Eur J Immunol. 1983 Aug;13(8):658–662. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830130810. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lampson L. A., Levy R. Two populations of Ia-like molecules on a human B cell line. J Immunol. 1980 Jul;125(1):293–299. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Lautenschlager I., Taskinen E., Inkinen K., Lehto V. P., Virtanen I., Häyry P. Distribution of the major histocompatibility complex antigens on different cellular components of human liver. Cell Immunol. 1984 Apr 15;85(1):191–200. doi: 10.1016/0008-8749(84)90289-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Londei M., Lamb J. R., Bottazzo G. F., Feldmann M. Epithelial cells expressing aberrant MHC class II determinants can present antigen to cloned human T cells. Nature. 1984 Dec 13;312(5995):639–641. doi: 10.1038/312639a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Montano L., Miescher G. C., Goodall A. H., Wiedmann K. H., Janossy G., Thomas H. C. Hepatitis B virus and HLA antigen display in the liver during chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatology. 1982 Sep-Oct;2(5):557–561. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840020508. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Nagafuchi Y., Hobbs K. E., Thomas H. C., Scheuer P. J. Expression of beta-2-microglobulin on hepatocytes after liver transplantation. Lancet. 1985 Mar 9;1(8428):551–554. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(85)91209-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Nagafuchi Y., Scheuer P. J. Expression of beta 2-microglobulin on hepatocytes in acute and chronic type B hepatitis. Hepatology. 1986 Jan-Feb;6(1):20–23. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840060105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Nagafuchi Y., Scheuer P. J. Hepatic beta 2-microglobulin distribution in primary biliary cirrhosis. J Hepatol. 1986;2(1):73–80. doi: 10.1016/s0168-8278(86)80010-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Natali P. G., De Martino C., Quaranta V., Nicotra M. R., Frezza F., Pellegrino M. A., Ferrone S. Expression of Ia-like antigens in normal human nonlymphoid tissues. Transplantation. 1981 Jan;31(1):75–78. doi: 10.1097/00007890-198101000-00017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Umetsu D. T., Pober J. S., Jabara H. H., Fiers W., Yunis E. J., Burakoff S. J., Reiss C. S., Geha R. S. Human dermal fibroblasts present tetanus toxoid antigen to antigen-specific T cell clones. J Clin Invest. 1985 Jul;76(1):254–260. doi: 10.1172/JCI111955. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. van den Oord J. J., de Vos R., Desmet V. J. In situ distribution of major histocompatibility complex products and viral antigens in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: evidence that HBc-containing hepatocytes may express HLA-DR antigens. Hepatology. 1986 Sep-Oct;6(5):981–989. doi: 10.1002/hep.1840060529. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES