HLA‐Bw54‐DR4‐DRw53‐DQw4 haplotype controls nonresponsiveness to hepatitis‐B surface antigen ‐via CD8‐positive suppressor T cells

Abstract: We have previously reported that in nonresponders to hepatitis‐B (HB) vaccine there was an HLA‐linked immune suppression gene for hepatitis‐B surface antigen (Is‐HBsAg) controlling the nonresponsiveness to HBsAg, through HBsAg‐specific suppressor T cells, and that the Is‐HBsAg was in strong linkage disequilibrium with the HLA‐Bw54‐DR4‐DRw53 haplotype (1). We have now done the HLA typing on an additional 6 nonresponders, and using the system of T‐cell proliferative response to HBsAg we found that the Is‐HBsAg controlled the nonresponsiveness to HBsAg through HBsAg‐specific suppressor T cells in nonresponders to HB vaccine who have HLA‐Bw54‐DR4‐DRw53‐DQw4 haplotype. T‐and B‐cell recognition of HB vaccines might play an important role at 3 to 5 weeks after the last immunization. Use of an anti‐HLA monoclonal antibody has shown that the HLA‐DR molecule plays an important role in helper T‐cell proliferation in nonresponders, although the role of HLA‐DQ molecule in nonresponders was unclear.