Soluble HLA-G protein secreted by allo-specific CD4+T cells suppresses the allo-proliferative response: A CD4+T cell regulatory mechanism

Abstract

We recently reported that the nonclassical HLA class I molecule HLA-G was expressed in the endomyocardial biopsies and sera of 16% of heart transplant patients studied. The aim of the present report is to identify cells that may be responsible for HLA-G protein expression during the allogeneic reaction. Carrying out mixed lymphocyte cultures in which the responder cell population was depleted either in CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells, we found that soluble HLA-G5 protein but not the membrane-bound HLA-G isoform was secreted by allo-specific CD4⁺ T cells from the responder population, which suppressed the allogeneic proliferative T cell response. This inhibition may be reversed by adding the anti-HLA-G 87G antibody to a mixed lymphocyte culture. That may indicate a previously uncharacterized regulatory mechanism of CD4⁺ T cell proliferative response.