title: Minor H antigens: genes and peptides.
abstract: In this review, we describe the evidence from which the existence of non-MHC histocompatibility (H) antigens was deduced, the clinical setting of bone marrow transplantation in which they are important targets for T-cell responses, and the current understanding of their molecular identity. We list the peptide epitopes of the human and murine minor H antigens now identified at the molecular level, their MHC restriction molecules and the genes encoding them. Identification of the peptide epitopes allows T-cell responses to these antigens following transplantation of MHC-matched, minor H-mismatched tissues to be enumerated using tetramers and elispot assays. This will facilitate analysis of correlations with host-versus-graft (HVG), graft-versus-host (GVH) and graft-versus-leukaemia (GVL) reactions in vivo. The potential to use minor H peptides to modulate in vivo responses to minor H antigens is discussed. Factors controlling immunodominance of T-cell responses to one or a few of many potential minor H antigens remain to be elucidated but are important for making predictions of in vivo HVG, GVH and GVL responses and tailoring therapy after HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation and donor lymphocyte infusion.
authors.affiliation: MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Department of Immunology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK. elizabeth.simpson@csc.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lombardi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cwynarski
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dazzi
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Millrain
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Dyson
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D001782:Blood Donors; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction; D020544:Graft vs Leukemia Effect; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006789:Host vs Graft Reaction; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000235:genetics; D017708:Leukocyte Transfusion; D051379:Mice; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008912:Minor Histocompatibility Loci; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens