title: Duffy and Kidd blood group antigens: minor histocompatibility antigens involved in renal allograft rejection?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minor histocompatibility antigens have been poorly defined. Whether Duffy (FY) and Kidd (JK), polymorphic and immunogenic blood group antigens, widely distributed in human organs, expressed and functional in the kidney, could function as minor histocompatibility antigens and be implicated in renal allograft rejection was questioned.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, homogeneous, single-center cohort of 370 renal transplants was analyzed. In all donor/recipient pairs, FY and JK polymorphisms were identified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. In all donor/recipient pairs the matching (m) or mismatching (mm) status was defined for both systems. All biopsies were reviewed, and historical screening results for FY and JK alloantibodies and graft survival were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although graft survival was not different between the groups, it was observed that FY mm grafts had significantly more chronic lesions compared to FY m grafts. HLA-DR11 was more frequent in both recipients (p = 0.0081) and donors (p = 0.0104) of FY mm couples without chronic allograft nephropathy, suggesting a protective effect for this molecule. JK mm grafts had more interstitial inflammation than JK m grafts (p = 0.0369).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This renal model unmasks for the first time the role of FY and-to a lesser extent-JK antigens as minor histocompatibility antigens and suggests their potential role for other clinical transplant settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lerut
authors.forename: Boudewijn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Van Damme
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Noizat-Pirenne
authors.forename: Marie-Paule
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Emonds
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rouger
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vanrenterghem
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pirenne
authors.forename: Hélène
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ansart-Pirenne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D006085:Graft Survival; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000097:blood; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D007667:Kidd Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D059810:HLA-DR Serological Subtypes; C080766:HLA-DR11 antigen; D007518:Isoantibodies; D007667:Kidd Blood-Group System; D015778:Minor Histocompatibility Antigens