Differential Roles of HLA-DR and DQ in Immune Regulation

Whether or not there are suppressor T cells which regulate the immune response, in experimental animals and in humans has remained controversial. One of the major problems in studying immune suppression has been difficulty in obtaining lines or clones of a suppressor T cell or a helper T cell for suppression which would facilitate acquisition of information essential to understanding the immune suppression at cellular and molecular levels. We have postulated the existence of HLA- linked immune suppression genes (Is-genes) in humans which control the low or nonresponsiveness, through antigen specific suppressor T cells. We summarize here evidence for these HLA-linked Is-genes, and related cellular mechanisms were elucidated using T cell lines of a suppressor T cell or a helper T cell for suppression.KeywordsTetanus ToxoidMixed Lymphocyte ReactionSchistosoma JaponicumLepromatous LeprosyMycobacterium LepraeThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.