Combined Immunodeficiency Disease Associated with Absence of Cell-surface HLA-A and -B Antigens

An infant with a family history suggestive of immunodeficiency presented with combined immunodeficiency. No HLA-A and -B antigens were present on lymphocyte and platelet surfaces, but they were found in the serum. HLA-D determinants were present on lymphocytes. In spite of a fetal thymus transplantation, the infant died of infections associated with the immunodeficiency. The thymus and lymphoid organs were present but hypoplastic and contained few lymphocytes at postmortem examination. The finding of an immodeficiency associated with an absence of cell-surface HLA-A and -B antigens may be regarded as the consequence of the lack of cellular histocompatibility antigens on immune development. Alternatively, other membrane components may have also been defective and partly responsible for the observed abnormalities.