Expression of HLA‐A and ‐B antigens on differentiating U‐937 cells

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cells from the human immature monocytoid cell line U-937 were induced with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) to differentiate towards macrophage-like cells. The expression of HLA-antigens during differentiation was examined with a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed against monomorphic and polymorphic determinants. Class II antigens could be detected neither on uninduced nor on TPA-induced U-937 cells. While the expression of HLA-A3 did not change significantly during differentiation, the supertypic specificities HLA-Bw4 and -Bw6 as well as the private specificity HLA-B18 could be detected only on a drastically decreased number of cells after 4 days of exposure to TPA. This may imply a selective loss of HLA-B molecules from the cell membrane and therefore a separate regulatory control of HLA-A and -B antigens.