Hiding in Plain Sight-A New Look at HLA Epitopes: A Case Report.
"Epitope matching" has become a buzz word in solid organ transplantation. Its goal is to improve matching between donor and recipient, to minimize risk for antibody-mediated rejection and to reduce sensitization associated with graft failure. Current software allows identification and enumeration of amino acid sequence mismatches in the form of HLA eplets; however, "eplets" and "epitopes" are not interchangeable terms, and the understanding of what contributes to the antigenicity and immunogenicity of HLA B cell epitopes is still very limited and inadequate. In fact, we still do not know what constitutes an HLA epitope or how to define it in a clinically useful way. To allow for judicious implementation of epitope matching, it is critical to explore the full spectrum of factors that affect allorecognition. In exploring antibody-binding patterns, we have uncovered a potential tool-currently hidden in plain sight-that may shed light on some aspects of epitope characteristics.
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. a-tambur@northwestern.edu.
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D000328:Adult; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000939:Epitopes; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007518:Isoantibodies
alloantibody; antibody biology; antigen presentation/recognition; histocompatibility; major histocompatibility complex (MHC); organ transplantation in general; sensitization; translational research/science