Interferon-γ induces the expression of HLA-A, B, C but not HLA-DR on human pancreatic β-cells

Abstract

We examined the effect of interferon-γ (IFNγ) on expression of the major histocompatibility proteins on cultured human islet cells isolated from adult and fetal pancreas and from an insulinoma. While the pancreatic β-cells from different sources varied in their responses to IFNγ, in all instances the expression ofHLA-A, B, C protein was increased. Pancreatic β-cells did not express HLA-DRx protein, before or after culture of the islets in IFNγ, although HLA-DR protein expression was induced on some non-β-cells. These findings areat variance with those reported with thyroid follicular cells, in which IFNγ induced expression of HLA-DR. We, therefore, conclude that the interaction between the i..