title: Identification of epitopes on HLA-DRB alleles reacting with antibodies in sera from women sensitized during pregnancy.
abstract: This report describes a HLAMatchmaker-based antibody analysis of post-pregnancy sera with antibodies against child-specific HLA-DR epitopes. These sera were reactive in IgG-binding assays with single allele bead (SAB) panels on a Luminex platform. The antibody specificity analysis focused on DRB epitopes that have been recorded in the International HLA Epitope Registry (http://www.epregistry.com.br) as experimentally verified with informative antibodies but we also considered other eplets that predict potential epitopes. The SAB panel has in several instances two or more alleles corresponding to the same serologically defined DR antigen and we selected six sera were with different reactivity patterns with DR1, DR4, DR13 and/or DR52 alleles. We demonstrate here how amino acid differences between these alleles can provide useful information in the determination of new epitope specificities of antibodies in these sera. Eight newly antibody-verified epitopes were identified including three that correspond to eplets paired with self-residue configurations. Epitope specificity information appears to be useful in the prediction of mismatch acceptability of non-SAB alleles within serological DR antigen groups.
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, United States. Electronic address: Duquesnoyr@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Rene J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Duquesnoy
authors.affiliation: Immunobiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gideon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hönger
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Fetomaternal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hösli
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marrari
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schaub
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D006648:Histocompatibility / Q000235:genetics; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007518:Isoantibodies
keywords: Antibody; DRB epitope; Eplet; Eplet pair; Pregnancy