QUANTIFICATION AND MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF PLASMATIC HLA-BCw MOLECULES WITH A LOCUS B AND Cw HLA SPECIFIC mAb (B1.23.2mAb)

SUMMARY Plasmatic HLA class I molecules were analysed quantitatively and qualitatively with a B and Cw locus-specific mAb, B 1.23.2. sHLA-BCw were detected among all individuals with a wide range of concentration. The HLA-A29(19) allele was significantly associated with an increased sHLA-BCw mean concentration. Three different isoforms of relative molecular weights of 44, 39 and 36kDa were detected. The 39kDa class I heavy chain was not detected after immunoprecipitation with mAb B 1.23.2 in 17% of tested plasma, but was immunoprecipitated with W6/32 mAb.