Minor transplantation antigens: mouse models for human host-versus-graft, graft-versus-host and graft-versus-leukemia reactions.
Minor transplantation or histocompatibility (H) antigens are barriers to the transplantation of organs and tissues between genetically non-identical individuals who are matched for transplantation antigens encoded by the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), H2 in mice and HLA in humans. Recognition of minor H antigens by T cells can lead to host-versus-graft (HvG) rejection of organs and, in bone marrow transplantation, to life threatening graft-versus-host (GvH) reactions, although if these can be controlled, clinically useful graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) reactions can be obtained. This review describes the early in vivo studies that laid the foundations of our understanding that minor H antigens are the product of genetic polymorphisms, the subsequent in vitro work which has identified these at the molecular level as peptides presented to T cells by self MHC molecules, and the most recent developments, which have seen the use of minor H specific T cells clones and sophisticated biochemical and molecular biological approaches to identify genes encoding them.
Simpson
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MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
D000818:Animals; D020350:Graft vs Tumor Effect / Q000276:immunology*; D006789:Host vs Graft Reaction / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D014181:Transplantation Immunology
D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens