The Intergenic Recombinant HLA-B∗46:01 Has a Distinctive Peptidome that Includes KIR2DL3 Ligands

Generation of integration-free human induced pluripotent stem cell line MURAi003-A derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a donor with homozygous Class I and Class II HLAs (A*11:01, B*46:01; C*01:02; DRB1*09:01; DQB1*03:03)

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system comprises cell-surface proteins responsible for the presentation of peptide antigens. HLAs play an essential role in the regulation of the human immune system, and their studies have been crucial to its understanding. To create a sustainable model for the investigation of HLAs, we successfully generated the human iPSC line MURAi003-A derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a donor with homozygous Class I and Class II HLAs (A*11:01, B*46:01; C*01:02; DRB1*09:01; DQB1*03:03) using non-integrative reprogramming episomes. MURAi003-A exhibited pluripotent stem cell characteristics with consistent demonstrations of pluripotency and expression of stem cell-associated markers.

A structure-guided approach to predict MHC-I restriction of T cell receptors for public antigens

Peptides presented by class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC-I) proteins provide biomarkers for therapeutic targeting using T cell receptors (TCRs), TCR-mimicking antibodies (TMAs), or other engineered protein binders. Despite the extreme sequence diversity of the Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA, the human MHC), a given TCR or TMA is restricted to recognize epitopic peptides in the context of a limited set of different HLA allotypes. Here, guided by our analysis of 96 TCR:pHLA complex structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), we identify TCR contact residues and classify 148 common HLA allotypes into T-cell cross-reactivity groups (T-CREGs) on the basis of their interaction surface features. Insights from our work have actionable value for resolving MHC-I restriction of TCRs, guiding therapeutic expansion of existing therapies, and informing the selection of peptide targets for forthcoming immunotherapy modalities.

Genome-wide association analysis reveals the associations of NPHP4, TYW1-AUTS2 and SEMA6D for Behçet's disease and HLA-B*46:01 for its intestinal involvement

BACKGROUND

Intestinal involvement in Behçet's disease (BD) is associated with poor prognosis and is more prevalent in East Asian than in Mediterranean populations. Identifying the genetic causes of intestinal BD is important for understanding the pathogenesis and for appropriate treatment of BD patients.

METHODS

We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and imputation/replication genotyping of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles for 1,689 Korean and Turkish patients with BD (including 379 patients with intestinal BD) and 2,327 healthy controls, followed by replication using 593 Japanese patients with BD (101 patients with intestinal BD) and 737 healthy controls. Stratified cross-phenotype analyses were performed for 1) overall BD, 2) intestinal BD, and 3) intestinal BD without association of overall BD.

RESULTS

We identified three novel genome-wide significant susceptibility loci including NPHP4 (rs74566205; P=1.36 × 10-8), TYW1-AUTS2 (rs60021986; P=1.14 × 10-9), and SEMA6D (rs4143322; P=5.54 × 10-9) for overall BD, and a new association with HLA-B*46:01 for intestinal BD (P=1.67 × 10-8) but not for BD without intestinal involvement. HLA peptide binding analysis revealed that Mycobacterial peptides, have a stronger binding affinity to HLA-B*46:01 compared to the known risk allele HLA-B*51:01.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-B*46:01 is associated with the development of intestinal BD; NPHP4, TYW1-AUTS2, and SEMA6D are susceptibility loci for overall BD.

Secreted HLA-Fc fusion profiles immunopeptidome in hypoxic PDAC and cellular senescence

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) present peptides largely from intracellular proteins on cell surfaces. As these complexes can serve as biomarkers in disease, proper identification of peptides derived from disease-associated antigens and the corresponding presenting HLA is important for the design and execution of therapeutic strategies. Yet, current mass spectrometry methods for immunopeptidomic profiling require large and complex sample inputs, hindering the study of certain disease phenotypes and lowering confidence in peptide and allele identification. Here, we describe a secreted HLA (sHLA)-Fc fusion construct for simple single HLA allele profiling in hypoxic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and cellular senescence. This method streamlines sample preparation, enables temporal control, and provides allele-restricted target identification. Over 30,000 unique HLA-associated peptides were identified across 2 different HLA alleles and 7 cell lines, with ∼9,300 peptides newly discovered. The sHLA-Fc fusion capture technology holds the potential to expedite immunopeptidomics and advance therapeutic interest in HLA-peptide complexes.

HLA-Bw4 in association with KIR3DL1 favors natural killer cell-mediated protection against severe COVID-19

Replicating SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to degrade HLA class I on target cells to evade the cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response. HLA-I downregulation can be sensed by NK cells to unleash killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)-mediated self-inhibition by the cognate HLA-I ligands. Here, we investigated the impact of HLA and KIR genotypes and HLA-KIR combinations on COVID-19 outcome. We found that the peptide affinities of HLA alleles were not correlated with COVID-19 severity. The predicted poor binders for SARS-CoV-2 peptides belong to HLA-B subtypes that encode KIR ligands, including Bw4 and C1 (introduced by B*46:01), which have a small F pocket and cannot accommodate SARS-CoV-2 CTL epitopes. However, HLA-Bw4 weak binders were beneficial for COVID-19 outcome, and individuals lacking the HLA-Bw4 motif were at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19. The presence of the HLA-Bw4 and KIR3DL1 combination had a 58.8% lower risk of developing severe COVID-19 (OR = 0.412, 95% CI = 0.187-0.904, p = 0.02). This suggests that HLA-Bw4 alleles that impair their ability to load SARS-CoV-2 peptides will become targets for NK-mediated destruction. Thus, we proposed that the synergistic responsiveness of CTLs and NK cells can efficiently control SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, and NK-cell-mediated anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses being mostly involved in severe infection when the level of ORF8 is high enough to degrade HLA-I. The HLA-Bw4/KIR3DL1 genotype may be particularly important for East Asians undergoing COVID-19 who are enriched in HLA-Bw4-inhibitory KIR interactions and carry a high frequency of HLA-Bw4 alleles that bind poorly to coronavirus peptides.

Secreted HLA Fc-Fusion Profiles Immunopeptidome in Hypoxic PDAC and Cellular Senescence

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) display peptides largely from intracellular proteins on the surface of cells in major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-peptide complexes. These complexes provide a biological window into the cell, and peptides derived from disease-associated antigens can serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Thus, proper identification of peptides and the corresponding presenting HLA allele in disease phenotypes is important for the design and execution of therapeutic strategies using engineered T-cell receptors or antibodies. Yet, current mass spectrometry methods for profiling the immunopeptidome typically require large and complex sample inputs, complicating the study of several disease phenotypes and lowering the confidence of both peptide and allele identification. Here, we describe a novel secreted HLA (sHLA) Fc-fusion construct that allows for simple peptide identification from single HLA alleles in two important disease models: hypoxic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and cellular senescence. We identify hypoxia and senescence-associated peptides that could act as future targets for immunotherapy. More generally, the method streamlines the time between sample preparation and injection from days to hours, yielding allele-restricted target identification in a temporally controlled manner. Overall, this method identified >30,000 unique HLA-associated peptides across two different HLA alleles and seven cell lines. Notably, ∼9,300 of these unique HLA-associated peptides had previously not been identified in the Immune Epitope Database. We believe the sHLA Fc-fusion capture technology will accelerate the study of the immunopeptidome as therapeutic interest in HLA-peptide complexes increases in cancer and beyond.

Immunogenetics of HLA-B: SNP, allele, and haplotype diversity in populations from different continents and ancestry backgrounds

HLA-B is among the most variable gene in the human genome. This gene encodes a key molecule for antigen presentation to CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK cell modulation. Despite the myriad of studies evaluating its coding region (with an emphasis on exons 2 and 3), few studies evaluated introns and regulatory sequences in real population samples. Thus, HLA-B variability is probably underestimated. We applied a bioinformatics pipeline tailored for HLA genes on 5347 samples from 80 different populations, which includes more than 1000 admixed Brazilians, to evaluate the HLA-B variability (SNPs, indels, MNPs, alleles, and haplotypes) in exons, introns, and regulatory regions. We observed 610 variable sites throughout HLA-B; the most frequent variants are shared worldwide. However, the haplotype distribution is geographically structured. We detected 920 full-length haplotypes (exons, introns, and untranslated regions) encoding 239 different protein sequences. HLA-B gene diversity is higher in admixed populations and Europeans while lower in African ancestry individuals. Each HLA-B allele group is associated with specific promoter sequences. This HLA-B variation resource may improve HLA imputation accuracy and disease-association studies and provide evolutionary insights regarding HLA-B genetic diversity in human populations.

Functional studies of HLA and its role in SARS-CoV-2: Stimulating T cell response and vaccine development

In the biological immune process, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an indispensable role in the expression of HLA molecules in the human body when viral infection activates the T-cell response to remove the virus. Since the first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in 2019, how to address and prevent SARS-CoV-2 has become a common problem facing all mankind. The T-cell immune response activated by MHC peptides is a way to construct a defense line and reduce the transmission and harm of the virus. Presentation of SARS-CoV-2 antigen is associated with different types of HLA phenotypes, and different HLA phenotypes induce different immune responses. The prediction of SARS-CoV-2 mutation information and the design of vaccines based on HLAs can effectively activate autoimmunity and cope with virus mutations, which can provide some references for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2.

HLA-B∗46 associates with rapid HIV disease progression in Asian cohorts and prominent differences in NK cell phenotype

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles have been linked to HIV disease progression and attributed to differences in cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope representation. These findings are largely based on treatment-naive individuals of European and African ancestry. We assessed HLA associations with HIV-1 outcomes in 1,318 individuals from Thailand and found HLA-B∗46:01 (B∗46) associated with accelerated disease in three independent cohorts. B∗46 had no detectable effect on HIV-specific T cell responses, but this allele is unusual in containing an HLA-C epitope that binds inhibitory receptors on natural killer (NK) cells. Unbiased transcriptomic screens showed increased NK cell activation in people with HIV, without B∗46, and simultaneous single-cell profiling of surface proteins and transcriptomes revealed a NK cell subset primed for increased responses in the absence of B∗46. These findings support a role for NK cells in HIV pathogenesis, revealed by the unique properties of the B∗46 allele common only in Asia.

Immunogenomics of Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor (KIR) and HLA Class I: Coevolution and Consequences for Human Health

Interactions of killer cell immunoglobin-like receptors (KIR) with human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I regulate effector functions of key cytotoxic cells of innate and adaptive immunity. The extreme diversity of this interaction is genetically determined, having evolved in the ever-changing environment of pathogen exposure. Diversity of KIR and HLA genes is further facilitated by their independent segregation on separate chromosomes. That fetal implantation relies on many of the same types of immune cells as infection control places certain constraints on the evolution of KIR interactions with HLA. Consequently, specific inherited combinations of receptors and ligands may predispose to specific immune-mediated diseases, including autoimmunity. Combinatorial diversity of KIR and HLA class I can also differentiate success rates of immunotherapy directed to these diseases. Progress toward both etiopathology and predicting response to therapy is being achieved through detailed characterization of the extent and consequences of the combinatorial diversity of KIR and HLA. Achieving these goals is more tractable with the development of integrated analyses of molecular evolution, function, and pathology that will establish guidelines for understanding and managing risks. Here, we present what is known about the coevolution of KIR with HLA class I and the impact of their complexity on immune function and homeostasis.

A new strategy for systematically classifying HLA alleles into serological specificities

HLA serological specificities were defined by the reactivity of HLA molecules with sets of sera and monoclonal antibodies. Many recently identified alleles defined by molecular typing lack their serotype assignment. We surveyed the literature describing the correlation of the reactivity of serologic reagents with AA residues. 20 - 25 AA residues determining epitopes (DEP) that correlated with 82 WHO serologic specificities were identified for HLA class I loci. Thirteen DEP each located in the beta-1 domains that correlated with 24 WHO serologic specificities were identified for HLA-DRB1 and -DQB1 loci. The designation of possible HLA-DPB1, -DQA1, -DPA1, and additional serological specificities that result from epitopes defined by residues located at both -DQA1 and -DQB1 subunits were also examined. HATS software was developed for automated serotype assignments to HLA alleles in one of the three hierarchical matching criteria: 1) all DEP (FULL); 2) selected DEP specific to each serological specificities (SEROTYPE); 3) one AA mismatch with one or more SEROTYPES (INCOMPLETE). Results were validated by evaluating the alleles whose serotypes do not correspond to the first field of the allele name listed in the HLA dictionary. Additional 85 and 21 DEP patterns that do not correspond to any WHO serologic specificities for common HLA class I and DRB1 alleles were identified, respectively. A comprehensive antibody identification panel would allow for accurate unacceptable antigen listing and compatibility predictions in solid organ transplantations. We propose that antibody-screening panels should include all serologic specificities identified in this study. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Human Genetic Host Factors and Its Role in the Pathogenesis of Chikungunya Virus Infection

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus from the Togaviridae family that causes acute arthropathy in humans. It is an arthropod-borne virus transmitted initially by the Aedes (Ae) aegypti and after 2006's epidemic in La Reunion by Ae albopictus due to an adaptive mutation of alanine for valine in the position 226 of the E1 glycoprotein genome (A226V). The first isolated cases of CHIKV were reported in Tanzania, however since its arrival to the Western Hemisphere in 2013, the infection became a pandemic. After a mosquito bite from an infected viremic patient the virus replicates eliciting viremia, fever, rash, myalgia, arthralgia, and arthritis. After the acute phase, CHIKV infection can progress to a chronic stage where rheumatic symptoms can last for several months to years. Although there is a great number of studies on the pathogenesis of CHIKV infection not only in humans but also in animal models, there still gaps in the proper understanding of the disease. To this date, it is unknown why a percentage of patients do not develop clinical symptoms despite having been exposed to the virus and developing an adaptive immune response. Also, controversy stills exist on the pathogenesis of chronic joint symptoms. It is known that host immune response to an infectious disease is reflected on patient's symptoms. At the same time, it is now well-established that host genetic variation is an important component of the varied onset, severity, and outcome of infectious disease. It is essential to understand the interaction between the aetiological agent and the host to know the chronic sequelae of the disease. The present review summarizes the current findings on human host genetics and its relationship with immune response in CHIKV infection.

SARS-CoV-2 transgressing LncRNAs uncovers the known unknowns

SARS-CoV-2 harbors many known unknown regions in the form of hypothetical open reading frames (ORFs). Although the mechanisms underlying the disease pathogenesis are not clearly understood, molecules such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key regulatory role in the viral pathogenesis from endocytosis. We asked whether or not the lncRNAs in the host are associated with the viral proteins and argue that lncRNA-mRNAs molecules related to viral infection may regulate SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Toward the end of the perspective, we provide challenges and insights into investigating these transgression pathways.

Risk Factors Associated with the Clinical Outcomes of COVID-19 and Its Variants in the Context of Cytokine Storm and Therapeutics/Vaccine Development Challenges

The recent appearance of SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and has brought to light the importance of understanding this highly pathogenic agent to prevent future pandemics. This virus is from the same single-stranded positive-sense RNA family, Coronaviridae, as two other epidemic-causing viruses, SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV. During this pandemic, one crucial focus highlighted by WHO has been to understand the risk factors that may contribute to disease severity and predict COVID-19 outcomes. In doing so, it is imperative to understand the virology of SARS-CoV-2 and the immunological response eliciting the clinical manifestation and progression of COVID-19. In this review, we provide clinical data-based analyses of how multiple risk factors (such as sex, race, HLA genotypes, blood groups, vitamin D deficiency, obesity, smoking, and asthma) contribute to the inflammatory overactivation and cytokine storm (frequently seen in COVID-19 patients) with a focus on the IL-6 pathway. We also draw comparisons to the virulence and pathophysiology of SARS and MERS to establish parallels in immune response and discuss the potential for therapeutic approaches that may limit disease progression in patients with higher risk profiles than others. Moreover, we cover the latest information on approved or upcoming COVID-19 vaccines. This paper also provides perspective on emerging variants and associated opportunistic infections such as black molds and fungus that have added to mortality in some parts of the world, such as India. This compilation of existing COVID-19 studies and data will provide an excellent referencing tool for the research, clinical, and public health communities.

Hidden Patterns of Anti-HLA Class I Alloreactivity Revealed Through Machine Learning

Detection of alloreactive anti-HLA antibodies is a frequent and mandatory test before and after organ transplantation to determine the antigenic targets of the antibodies. Nowadays, this test involves the measurement of fluorescent signals generated through antibody-antigen reactions on multi-beads flow cytometers. In this study, in a cohort of 1,066 patients from one country, anti-HLA class I responses were analyzed on a panel of 98 different antigens. Knowing that the immune system responds typically to "shared" antigenic targets, we studied the clustering patterns of antibody responses against HLA class I antigens without any a priori hypothesis, applying two unsupervised machine learning approaches. At first, the principal component analysis (PCA) projections of intra-locus specific responses showed that anti-HLA-A and anti-HLA-C were the most distantly projected responses in the population with the anti-HLA-B responses to be projected between them. When PCA was applied on the responses against antigens belonging to a single locus, some already known groupings were confirmed while several new cross-reactive patterns of alloreactivity were detected. Anti-HLA-A responses projected through PCA suggested that three cross-reactive groups accounted for about 70% of the variance observed in the population, while anti-HLA-B responses were mainly characterized by a distinction between previously described Bw4 and Bw6 cross-reactive groups followed by several yet undocumented or poorly described ones. Furthermore, anti-HLA-C responses could be explained by two major cross-reactive groups completely overlapping with previously described C1 and C2 allelic groups. A second feature-based analysis of all antigenic specificities, projected as a dendrogram, generated a robust measure of allelic antigenic distances depicting bead-array defined cross reactive groups. Finally, amino acid combinations explaining major population specific cross-reactive groups were described. The interpretation of the results was based on the current knowledge of the antigenic targets of the antibodies as they have been characterized either experimentally or computationally and appear at the HLA epitope registry.

HLA-dependent heterogeneity and macrophage immunoproteasome activation during lung COVID-19 disease

BACKGROUND

The worldwide pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is characterized by significant and unpredictable heterogeneity in symptoms that remains poorly understood.

METHODS

Transcriptome and single cell transcriptome of COVID19 lung were integrated with deeplearning analysis of MHC class I immunopeptidome against SARS-COV2 proteome.

RESULTS

An analysis of the transcriptomes of lung samples from COVID-19 patients revealed that activation of MHC class I antigen presentation in these tissues was correlated with the amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA present. Similarly, a positive relationship was detected in these samples between the level of SARS-CoV-2 and the expression of a genomic cluster located in the 6p21.32 region (40 kb long, inside the MHC-II cluster) that encodes constituents of the immunoproteasome. An analysis of single-cell transcriptomes of bronchoalveolar cells highlighted the activation of the immunoproteasome in CD68 + M1 macrophages of COVID-19 patients in addition to a PSMB8-based trajectory in these cells that featured an activation of defense response during mild cases of the disease, and an impairment of alveolar clearance mechanisms during severe COVID-19. By examining the binding affinity of the SARS-CoV-2 immunopeptidome with the most common HLA-A, -B, and -C alleles worldwide, we found higher numbers of stronger presenters in type A alleles and in Asian populations, which could shed light on why this disease is now less widespread in this part of the world.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-dependent heterogeneity in macrophage immunoproteasome activation during lung COVID-19 disease could have implications for efforts to predict the response to HLA-dependent SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the global population.

High-Resolution Analysis Identifies High Frequency of KIR-A Haplotypes and Inhibitory Interactions of KIR With HLA Class I in Zhejiang Han

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) interact with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, modulating critical NK cell functions in the maintenance of human health. Characterizing the distribution and characteristics of KIR and HLA allotype diversity across defined human populations is thus essential for understanding the multiple associations with disease, and for directing therapies. In this study of 176 Zhejiang Han individuals from Southeastern China, we describe diversity of the highly polymorphic KIR and HLA class I genes at high resolution. KIR-A haplotypes, which carry four inhibitory receptors specific for HLA-A, B or C, are known to associate with protection from infection and some cancers. We show the Chinese Southern Han from Zhejiang are characterized by a high frequency of KIR-A haplotypes and a high frequency of C1 KIR ligands. Accordingly, interactions of inhibitory KIR2DL3 with C1+HLA are more frequent in Zhejiang Han than populations outside East Asia. Zhejiang Han exhibit greater diversity of inhibitory than activating KIR, with three-domain inhibitory KIR exhibiting the greatest degree of polymorphism. As distinguished by gene copy number and allele content, 54 centromeric and 37 telomeric haplotypes were observed. We observed 6% of the population to have KIR haplotypes containing large-scale duplications or deletions that include complete genes. A unique truncated haplotype containing only KIR2DL4 in the telomeric region was also identified. An additional feature is the high frequency of HLA-B*46:01, which may have arisen due to selection pressure from infectious disease. This study will provide further insight into the role of KIR and HLA polymorphism in disease susceptibility of Zhejiang Chinese.

Lack of association of KIR2DL1-R245 and KIR2DL1-C245 with HIV-1 control in black South Africans with HLA-C2

Activating/inhibitory Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) partly regulate Natural Killer (NK) cells. KIR2DL1 allotypes with cysteine at position-245 (KIR2DL1-C²⁴⁵) express at lower levels and demonstrate weaker inhibitory signaling compared to allotypes with arginine at position-245 (KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵). The functional consequence of either allotype in infectious diseases is unknown. Since NK cells mediate antiviral immunity, we investigated KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵ and KIR2DL1-C²⁴⁵ in association with HIV-1 virological control in untreated immunocompetent black South Africans. Allotype carriage, determined by KIR2DL1 sequencing, was similar between uninfected South Africans (n = 104) and other black African populations, but differed significantly from Europeans, while no significant differences were noted between uninfected and HIV-1-infected individuals (n = 52). KIR2DL1 expression, measured by flow cytometry, in uninfected individuals showed higher KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵ expression compared to KIR2DL1-C²⁴⁵ in white donors (n = 27), while black donors (n = 21) generally expressed lower levels of both allotypes. KIR2DL1 expression was reduced in HLA-C2 carriers, most evident in black HLA-C2/C2 donors. KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵ and KIR2DL1-C²⁴⁵ did not associate with viral load when HLA-C2 ligands were present, however in HLA-C1 homozygotes, individuals with only KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵, showed lower viral loads compared to carriers of both allotypes. The lack of association of KIR2DL1-R²⁴⁵ or KIR2DL1-C²⁴⁵ with HIV-1 control in HLA-C2 carriers may relate to lower KIR2DL1 expression levels in a population with high HLA-C2 prevalence.

The combinatorial diversity of KIR and HLA class I allotypes in Peninsular Malaysia

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) interact with polymorphic human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, modulating natural killer (NK) cell functions and affecting both the susceptibility and outcome of immune-mediated diseases. The KIR locus is highly diverse in gene content, copy number and allelic polymorphism within individuals and across geographical populations. To analyse currently under-represented Asian and Pacific populations, we investigated the combinatorial diversity of KIR and HLA class I in 92 unrelated Malay and 75 Malaysian Chinese individuals from the Malay Peninsula. We identified substantial allelic and structural diversity of the KIR locus in both populations and characterized novel variations at each analysis level. The Malay population is more diverse than Malay Chinese, likely representing a unique history including admixture with immigrating populations spanning several thousand years. Characterizing the Malay population are KIR haplotypes with large structural variants present in 10% individuals, and KIR and HLA alleles previously identified in Austronesian populations. Despite the differences in ancestries, the proportion of HLA allotypes that serve as KIR ligands is similar in each population. The exception is a significantly reduced frequency of interactions of KIR2DL1 with C2+ HLA-C in the Malaysian Chinese group, caused by the low frequency of C2+ HLA. One likely implication is a greater protection from preeclampsia, a pregnancy disorder associated with KIR2DL1, which shows higher incidence in the Malay than in the Malaysian Chinese. This first complete, high-resolution, characterization of combinatorial diversity of KIR and HLA in Malaysians will form a valuable reference for future clinical and population studies.

From Chickens to Humans: The Importance of Peptide Repertoires for MHC Class I Alleles

In humans, killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), expressed on natural killer (NK) and thymus-derived (T) cells, and their ligands, primarily the classical class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) expressed on nearly all cells, are both polymorphic. The variation of this receptor-ligand interaction, based on which alleles have been inherited, is known to play crucial roles in resistance to infectious disease, autoimmunity, and reproduction in humans. However, not all the variation in response is inherited, since KIR binding can be affected by a portion of the peptide bound to the class I molecules, with the particular peptide presented affecting the NK response. The extent to which the large multigene family of chicken immunoglobulin-like receptors (ChIRs) is involved in functions similar to KIRs is suspected but not proven. However, much is understood about the two MHC-I molecules encoded in the chicken MHC. The BF2 molecule is expressed at a high level and is thought to be the predominant ligand of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), while the BF1 molecule is expressed at a much lower level if at all and is thought to be primarily a ligand for NK cells. Recently, a hierarchy of BF2 alleles with a suite of correlated properties has been defined, from those expressed at a high level on the cell surface but with a narrow range of bound peptides to those expressed at a lower level on the cell surface but with a very wide repertoire of bound peptides. Interestingly, there is a similar hierarchy for human class I alleles, although the hierarchy is not as wide. It is a question whether KIRs and ChIRs recognize class I molecules with bound peptide in a similar way, and whether fastidious to promiscuous hierarchy of class I molecules affect both T and NK cell function. Such effects might be different from those predicted by the similarities of peptide-binding based on peptide motifs, as enshrined in the idea of supertypes. Since the size of peptide repertoire can be very different for alleles with similar peptide motifs from the same supertype, the relative importance of these two properties may be testable.

Increased risk of occupational trichloroethylene hypersensitivity syndrome at exposure levels higher than 15 mg/L of urinary trichloroacetic acid, regardless of whether the patients had the HLA-B*13:01 allele

Occupational trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure can cause hypersensitivity syndrome (TCE-HS). The human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B*13:01 is reportedly an important allele involved in TCE-HS onset. However, the threshold exposure level causing TCE-HS in relation to HLA-B*13:01 remains unknown. We conducted a case-control study comprising 37 TCE-HS patients and 97 age- and sex-matched TCE-tolerant controls from the Han Chinese population. Urine and blood of patients were collected on the first day of hospitalization, and those of controls were collected at the end of their shifts. Urinary trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was measured as an exposure marker, and end-of-shift levels in the patients were estimated using the biological half-life of 83.7 h. HLA-B genotype was identified using DNA from blood. Crude odds ratios (ORs) for TCE-HS in the groups with urinary TCA concentration >15 mg/L to ≤50 mg/L and of >50 mg/L were 21.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.2-114.1] and 27.6 (6.1-125.8), respectively, when the group with urinary TCA ≤15 mg/L was used as a reference. The frequency of HLA-B*13:01, the most common allele in the patients, was 62.2% (23/37), which was significantly higher than 17.5% (17/97) in the TCE-tolerant controls, with a crude OR of 8.4 (3.1-22.6). The mutually-adjusted ORs for urinary TCA >15 to ≤50 mg/L, >50 mg/L, and for HLA-B*13:01 were 33.4 (4.1-270.8), 34.0 (5.3-217.1), and 11.0 (2.4-50.7), respectively. In conclusion, reduction of TCE exposure to ≤15 mg/L is required for TCE-HS prevention because urinary TCA concentration >15 mg/L showed increased risk of TCE-HS, regardless of whether the patients had the HLA-B*13:01 allele.

Genetic gateways to COVID-19 infection: Implications for risk, severity, and outcomes

The dynamics, such as transmission, spatial epidemiology, and clinical course of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) have emerged as the most intriguing features and remain incompletely understood. The genetic landscape of an individual in particular, and a population in general seems to play a pivotal role in shaping the above COVID-19 dynamics. Considering the implications of host genes in the entry and replication of SARS-CoV-2 and in mounting the host immune response, it appears that multiple genes might be crucially involved in the above processes. Herein, we propose three potentially important genetic gateways to COVID-19 infection; these could explain at least in part the discrepancies of its spread, severity, and mortality. The variations within Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene might constitute the first genetic gateway, influencing the spatial transmission dynamics of COVID-19. The Human Leukocyte Antigen locus, a master regulator of immunity against infection seems to be crucial in influencing susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 and can be the second genetic gateway. The genes regulating Toll-like receptor and complement pathways and subsequently cytokine storm induced exaggerated inflammatory pathways seem to underlie the severity of COVID-19, and such genes might represent the third genetic gateway. Host-pathogen interaction is a complex event and some additional genes might also contribute to the dynamics of COVID-19. Overall, these three genetic gateways proposed here might be the critical host determinants governing the risk, severity, and outcome of COVID-19. Genetic variations within these gateways could be key in influencing geographical discrepancies of COVID-19.

Sequence-structure-function relationships in class I MHC: A local frustration perspective

Class I Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) binds short antigenic peptides with the help of Peptide Loading Complex (PLC), and presents them to T-cell Receptors (TCRs) of cytotoxic T-cells and Killer-cell Immunglobulin-like Receptors (KIRs) of Natural Killer (NK) cells. With more than 10000 alleles, human MHC (Human Leukocyte Antigen, HLA) is the most polymorphic protein in humans. This allelic diversity provides a wide coverage of peptide sequence space, yet does not affect the three-dimensional structure of the complex. Moreover, TCRs mostly interact with HLA in a common diagonal binding mode, and KIR-HLA interaction is allele-dependent. With the aim of establishing a framework for understanding the relationships between polymorphism (sequence), structure (conserved fold) and function (protein interactions) of the human MHC, we performed here a local frustration analysis on pMHC homology models covering 1436 HLA I alleles. An analysis of local frustration profiles indicated that (1) variations in MHC fold are unlikely due to minimally-frustrated and relatively conserved residues within the HLA peptide-binding groove, (2) high frustration patches on HLA helices are either involved in or near interaction sites of MHC with the TCR, KIR, or tapasin of the PLC, and (3) peptide ligands mainly stabilize the F-pocket of HLA binding groove.

HLA Correlations with Clinical Phenotypes and Risk of Metabolic Comorbidities in Singapore Chinese Psoriasis Patients

INTRODUCTION

Psoriasis is a systemic, chronic inflammatory disease that not only afflicts the skin but is also associated with cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The strongest susceptibility loci for the disease is within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, though specific HLA allelic associations vary between populations.

OBJECTIVE

Our objective was to investigate HLA associations with clinical phenotypes of psoriasis and metabolic syndrome in Chinese psoriasis cases.

METHODS

We conducted an observational case-control study in Singapore with a cohort of psoriasis cases consecutively recruited from an outpatient specialist dermatological center (n = 120) compared with 130 healthy controls.

RESULTS

Significant HLA associations with psoriasis were observed with HLA-A*02:07, B*46:01, C*01:02, and C*06:02. The three-locus haplotype of A*02:07-C*01:02-B*46:01 was also significant (odds ratio [OR] 3.07; p = 9.47 × 10^-5). We also observed an association between nail psoriasis and HLA-A*02:07 carriers (OR 4.50; p = 0.002), whereas C*06:02 carriers were less prone to have nail involvement (OR 0.16; p = 0.004). HLA-A*02:07 was also identified as a possible risk allele for hypertension (OR 2.90; p < 0.05), and C*01:02 was a possible risk allele for dyslipidemia (OR 3.36; p < 0.05), both known to be common comorbidities in patients with psoriasis.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate the growing importance of discerning population-specific clinical phenotypes and their association with certain HLA alleles in psoriasis.

Imbalance of Genes Encoding Natural Killer Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors and Human Leukocyte Antigen in Patients With Biliary Cancer

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Bile duct tumors are rare and have poor prognoses. Natural killer (NK) cells are frequent in human liver and infiltrate these tumors but do not control their progression. Responses of NK cells are regulated by NK immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), which interact with HLA class I ligands. We aimed to characterize the features of the KIR gene loci and their ligands in patients with bile duct cancer (BDC).

METHODS

We performed combined multidimensional characterization of genes that encode KIRs and their ligands in blood samples from patients with BDC from Sweden, followed for up to 8 years after diagnosis (n = 148), in 2 geographically matched cohorts of healthy individuals from Northern Europe (n = 204 and n = 900), and in healthy individuals from 6 geographically unrelated populations (n = 2917). We used real-time polymerase chain reaction, RNA sequencing, immunohistochemistry, and flow cytometry to evaluate NK-cell presence, as well as KIR and KIR-ligand expression in bile duct tumors and control tissues.

RESULTS

Patients with bile duct tumors had multiple alterations at the KIR gene loci. KIR loci are grouped into genotypes that encode more inhibitory (group A) and more activating (group B) receptors, which can be subdivided into centromeric and telomeric fragments. Patients with BDC had a lower prevalence of KIR2DL3, which was linked to disequilibrium in centromeric A/B and B/B genotypes, compared with control individuals. The associations between KIRs and KIR ligands differed between patients with BDC and control individuals; patients had an altered balance between activating and inhibitory KIRs. KIR-positive NK cells infiltrated biliary tumors that expressed matched KIR ligands.

CONCLUSIONS

In a multidimensional analysis of DNA from blood samples of patients with BDC in Europe, we found patients to have multiple alterations at the KIR and HLA gene loci compared with control individuals. These alterations might affect NK-cell tumor surveillance. NK cells from bile duct tumors expressed KIRs and were found in tumors that expressed cognate ligands. This should be considered in development of immune-based therapies for BDC.

Identification of a novel recombinant allele, HLA-DPB1*835:01:01:02, in Black South African individuals

Genetic characterisation of a novel intra-locus recombinant allele, HLA-DPB1*835:01:01:02, in Black South African individuals.

HLA-B57 micropolymorphism defines the sequence and conformational breadth of the immunopeptidome

Immunophenotypic differences between closely related human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles have been associated with divergent clinical outcomes in infection, autoimmunity, transplantation and drug hypersensitivity. Here we explore the impact of micropolymorphism on peptide antigen presentation by three closely related HLA molecules, HLA-B*57:01, HLA-B*57:03 and HLA-B*58:01, that are differentially associated with the HIV elite controller phenotype and adverse drug reactions. For each allotype, we mine HLA ligand data sets derived from the same parental cell proteome to define qualitative differences in peptide presentation using classical peptide binding motifs and an unbiased statistical approach. The peptide repertoires show marked qualitative overlap, with 982 peptides presented by all allomorphs. However, differences in peptide abundance, HLA-peptide stability, and HLA-bound conformation demonstrate that HLA micropolymorphism impacts more than simply the range of peptide ligands. These differences provide grounds for distinct immune reactivity and insights into the capacity of micropolymorphism to diversify immune outcomes.

Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) are multi-allelic and polymorphic genes that present antigens to immune cells for inducing protective immunity. Here, using systems biology and structural approaches, the authors show that micropolymorphism of three HLA has effects beyond the modulation of antigen diversity.

Characterization of a novel allelic variant in HLA-B*46:01 lineage, HLA-B*46:01:25, by cloning, phasing and sequencing

A new allelic variant in HLA-B*46:01 lineage, HLA-B*46:01:25, has been identified in a male individual of Mongol ethnicity residing in northern China. Following polymerase chain reaction-sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT), this novel variant was further confirmed by cloning, phasing and sequencing. HLA-B*46:01:25 differs from HLA-B*46:01:01 by a single synonymous T substitution at nucleotide position 137 (C - T) in exon 4, corresponding to codon 228 (ACC-ACT) of the mature HLA-B mRNA molecule.

Predicting Antigen Presentation-What Could We Learn From a Million Peptides?

Antigen presentation lies at the heart of immune recognition of infected or malignant cells. For this reason, important efforts have been made to predict which peptides are more likely to bind and be presented by the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex at the surface of cells. These predictions have become even more important with the advent of next-generation sequencing technologies that enable researchers and clinicians to rapidly determine the sequences of pathogens (and their multiple variants) or identify non-synonymous genetic alterations in cancer cells. Here, we review recent advances in predicting HLA binding and antigen presentation in human cells. We argue that the very large amount of high-quality mass spectrometry data of eluted (mainly self) HLA ligands generated in the last few years provides unprecedented opportunities to improve our ability to predict antigen presentation and learn new properties of HLA molecules, as demonstrated in many recent studies of naturally presented HLA-I ligands. Although major challenges still lie on the road toward the ultimate goal of predicting immunogenicity, these experimental and computational developments will facilitate screening of putative epitopes, which may eventually help decipher the rules governing T cell recognition.

The C-terminal extension landscape of naturally presented HLA-I ligands

HLA-I molecules play a central role in antigen presentation. They typically bind 9- to 12-mer peptides, and their canonical binding mode involves anchor residues at the second and last positions of their ligands. To investigate potential noncanonical binding modes, we collected in-depth and accurate HLA peptidomics datasets covering 54 HLA-I alleles and developed algorithms to analyze these data. Our results reveal frequent (442 unique peptides) and statistically significant C-terminal extensions for at least eight alleles, including the common HLA-A03:01, HLA-A31:01, and HLA-A68:01. High resolution crystal structure of HLA-A68:01 with such a ligand uncovers structural changes taking place to accommodate C-terminal extensions and helps unraveling sequence and structural properties predictive of the presence of these extensions. Scanning viral proteomes with the C-terminal extension motifs identifies many putative epitopes and we demonstrate direct recognition by human CD8⁺ T cells of a 10-mer epitope from cytomegalovirus predicted to follow the C-terminal extension binding mode.

Genetics of Natural Killer Cells in Human Health, Disease, and Survival

Natural killer (NK) cells have vital functions in human immunity and reproduction. In the innate and adaptive immune responses to infection, particularly by viruses, NK cells respond by secreting inflammatory cytokines and killing infected cells. In reproduction, NK cells are critical for genesis of the placenta, the organ that controls the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the growing fetus. Controlling NK cell functions are interactions of HLA class I with inhibitory NK cell receptors. First evolved was the conserved interaction of HLA-E with CD94:NKG2A; later established were diverse interactions of HLA-A, -B, and -C with killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors. Characterizing the latter interactions is rapid evolution, which distinguishes human populations and all species of higher primate. Driving this evolution are the different and competing selections imposed by pathogens on NK cell-mediated immunity and by the constraints of human reproduction on NK cell-mediated placentation. Promoting rapid evolution is independent segregation of polymorphic receptors and ligands throughout human populations.

Natural Killer Cell Interactions with Classical and Non-Classical Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I in HIV-1 Infection

Natural killer (NK) cells are effector lymphocytes of the innate immune system that are able to mount a multifaceted antiviral response within hours following infection. This is achieved through an array of cell surface receptors surveilling host cells for alterations in human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) expression and other ligands as signs of viral infection, malignant transformation, and cellular stress. This interaction between HLA-I ligands and NK-cell receptor is not only important for recognition of diseased cells but also mediates tuning of NK-cell-effector functions. HIV-1 alters the expression of HLA-I ligands on infected cells, rendering them susceptible to NK cell-mediated killing. However, over the past years, various HIV-1 evasion strategies have been discovered to target NK-cell-receptor ligands and allow the virus to escape from NK cell-mediated immunity. While studies have been mainly focusing on the role of polymorphic HLA-A, -B, and -C molecules, less is known about how HIV-1 affects the more conserved, non-classical HLA-I molecules HLA-E, -G, and -F. In this review, we will focus on the recent progress in understanding the role of non-classical HLA-I ligands in NK cell-mediated recognition of HIV-1-infected cells.

Infection with Burkholderia pseudomallei - immune correlates of survival in acute melioidosis

Melioidosis, caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei, is a potentially lethal infection with no licensed vaccine. There is little understanding of why some exposed individuals have no symptoms, while others rapidly progress to sepsis and death, or why diabetes confers increased susceptibility. We prospectively recruited a cohort of 183 acute melioidosis patients and 21 control subjects from Northeast Thailand and studied immune parameters in the context of survival status and the presence or absence of diabetes. HLA-B*46 (one of the commonest HLA class I alleles in SE Asia) and HLA-C*01 were associated with an increased risk of death (odds ratio 2.8 and 3.1 respectively). Transcriptomic analysis during acute infection in diabetics indicated the importance of interplay between immune pathways including those involved in antigen presentation, chemotaxis, innate and adaptive immunity and their regulation. Survival was associated with enhanced T cell immunity to nine of fifteen immunodominant antigens analysed including AhpC (BPSL2096), BopE (BPSS1525), PilO (BPSS1599), ATP binding protein (BPSS1385) and an uncharacterised protein (BPSL2520). T cell immunity to GroEL (BPSL2697) was specifically impaired in diabetic individuals. This characterization of immunity associated with survival during acute infection offers insights into correlates of protection and a foundation for design of an effective multivalent vaccine.

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors on the cusp of modern immunogenetics

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands play a central role in immunity and human health. These molecules are encoded by gene families with copy number variation, extreme levels of sequence diversity and complex expression patterns. The rapid evolution of KIR and HLA genes and their associations with infectious diseases, pregnancy disorders, immunopathologies and outcome of cell transplantation have generated considerable interest from immunologists, geneticists and clinicians. Until recently, however, analyses have been stuck at low-level resolution, focusing primarily on presence or absence of KIR genes. This is changing with the advent of modern high throughput sequencing, cell phenotyping and bioinformatics. These developments allow high-resolution analysis and much deeper understanding of KIR evolution and KIR function. The impending deluge of high dimensional data brings inevitably new challenges in analysis, interpretation and communication of results, but the benefits are already tangible. The diversity of KIR across worldwide human populations is being catalogued at the allele level. Structures of KIR molecules and their interactions with HLA-peptide complexes are being determined. How KIR modulate natural killer cell education is being defined. Ligands for activating KIR, elusive for many years, are being discovered. KIR gene complexes and their related receptor gene families are being characterized in animal models and livestock breeds. These advances are helping to generate a more complete picture of the impact of KIR variation in health and disease and offer new opportunities for immunotherapy, as highlighted in a recent meeting (The Tenth KIR Workshop, April 2017 Cambridge, UK).

Missing or altered self: human NK cell receptors that recognize HLA-C

Natural killer (NK) cells are fast-acting and versatile lymphocytes that are critical effectors of innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and placental development. Controlling NK cell function are the interactions between killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) and their HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C ligands. Due to the extensive polymorphism of both KIR and HLA class I, these interactions are highly diversified and specific combinations correlate with protection or susceptibility to a range of infectious, autoimmune, and reproductive disorders. Evolutionary, genetic, and functional studies are consistent with the interactions between KIR and HLA-C being the dominant control mechanism of human NK cells. In addition to their recognition of the C1 and C2 epitopes, increasing evidence points to KIR having a previously unrecognized selectivity for the peptide presented by HLA-C. This selectivity appears to be a conserved feature of activating KIR and may partly explain the slow progress made in identifying their HLA class I ligands. The peptide selectivity of KIR allows NK cells to respond, not only to changes in the surface expression of HLA-C, but also to the more subtle changes in the HLA-C peptidome, such as occur during viral infection and malignant transformation. Here, we review recent advances in understanding of human-specific KIR evolution and how the inhibitory and activating HLA-C receptors allow NK cells to respond to healthy cells, diseased cells, and the semi-allogeneic cells of the fetus.