T cell proliferation restricted by HLA class II molecules in patients with hen's egg allergy.

We investigated the synergistic effect of anti-HLA class II monoclonal antibodies on proliferative responses to ovalbumin (OA) of T cell line (TCL) cells from five hen's-egg-sensitive patients. Among the five patients, the proliferation of the TCL cells from two patients with AD who have a low immune reaction was restored by the anti-HLA-DQ monoclonal antibodies, and the proliferation of the TCL cells from the other three patients was inhibited by the anti-HLA-DP monoclonal antibodies. These results suggest that a component of the T cell repertoire reactive with OA in hen's-egg-sensitive patients may be restricted by HLA-DP molecules. Furthermore, in hen's-egg-sensitive patients with AD who have a low immune reaction, low responsiveness may be regulated by HLA-DQ molecules.