Modulation of expression of HLA components at the cell surface induced by anti-beta 2m reagents.

Antibodies against lymphocytes surface components are able to rearrange profoundly the topography of the cell membrane with a differential modulation of surface antigens. Of particular interest is the effect of anti-beta 2m reagents, which are able to suppress completely the reactivity of epitopes carried by the two chains of the ABC dimers, while th expressivity of other antigens, such as DR, is significantly increased. These results have been obtained with immunoradiobinding under a variety of conditions, thus confirming the validity of the "bb" (beta 2m blanketing) test.