Serology and genetics of human monocyte antigens (HMA system). Antibody, population and family studies.

This study was conducted for the purpose of detecting monocyte-specific alloantibodies by screening of sera which had been retroplacentally obtained, and with a view to delimitating their reactivity pattern from B and T lymphocytes. The data presented provide evidence for an unambiguous distinction of seven different monocyte antigens, MA-1 to MA-7. Segregation analyses of 14 informative families with 69 children revealed HLA-linked autosomal, codominant inheritance of these human monocyte antigen (HMA) via two gene loci (HMA-A and HMA-B) each of them with multiple allelism. The following gene frequencies were established: 0.1340 for HMA-A1; 0.0315 for HMA-A3; 0.0315 for HMA-A5; 0.0146 for HMA-A6; 0.0657 for HMA-B2; 0.0289 for HMA-B4, and 0.0614 for HMA-B7.