Detection of antibodies against major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A in long-term renal graft recipients.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence, allele specificity, and intensity of anti-MICA antibodies in long-term renal graft recipients and to investigate their association with impaired renal function.


METHODS
Sixty-eight long-term (> 10 y) renal graft recipients were divided into 2 groups: (1) patients with impaired renal function (serum creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL, n=6); (2) patients with normal renal function (serum creatinine < 176.8 μmol/L, n=62). Anti-MICA antibodies were tested using Luminex single antigen beads assays and the frequency, specificity, and intensity of these antibodies were compared between 2 patient groups.


RESULTS
MICA antibodies were detected in 33% of impaired renal function patients and 15% of normal renal function patients (P > .05). Anti-MICA*027 antibodies were found in 11.76% of patients, whereas antibody to MICA*012 was found in 2.94% of patients. Interestingly, among all antibody specificities, MICA*001,*004, *007, *009, *012, and *018 were found more frequently in impaired renal function patients than in normal renal function patients. The peak mean fluorescence intensity levels of MICA antibodies in impaired renal function patients were significantly higher than those in normal renal function patients (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that increased prevalence and intensity of anti-MICA antibodies are associated with impaired renal graft function in long-term renal graft recipients and some MICA antibodies might be more important than others in mediating graft rejection.
Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Shanghai First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
Zuowei
Z
Li
Ming
M
Luo
Jianxin
J
Qiu
Yong
Y
Liu
Yu
Y
Fan
Fay M
FM
Jahr
Junchao
J
Cai
Paul I
PI
Terasaki
D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D015415:Biomarkers; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; C099187:MHC class I-related chain A; D003404:Creatinine