title: Antibody-defined epitopes on HLA-DQ alleles reacting with antibodies induced during pregnancy and the design of a DQ eplet map.
abstract: The concept that HLA antibodies recognize epitopes is leading to new approaches of HLA matching at the epitope level. HLA-DQ plays an important role and many studies have identified structurally defined DQ epitopes specifically recognized by antibodies; they have been recorded in the International HLA Epitope Registry http://www.epregistry.com.br but the list is still incomplete. Pregnancy offers an attractive model to study antibody responses to HLA epitopes. The current analysis was done on 42 DQ-reactive post-pregnancy sera tested in binding assays with a panel of DQ heterodimers. The reactivity of 29 sera corresponded fully to the presence of antibody-verified DQA and DQB epitopes recorded in the Registry. Analysis of the remaining 13 sera led to the identification of additional antibody-defined DQB and DQA epitopes. We have designed the first version of an eplet map for DQ alleles which includes antibody-defined DQA and DQB epitopes and shows sequence positions with polymorphic residues which can be used in HLA epitology studies to identify new antibody-defined DQ epitopes.
authors.affiliation: Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA. Electronic address: Duquesnoyr@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Rene J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Duquesnoy
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, 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, USA.
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: D000483:Alleles; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D003198:Computer Simulation; D018604:Epitope Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012042:Registries; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D018985:Epitopes, B-Lymphocyte; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens
keywords: Antibody; Epitope; Eplet; HLA-DQ; HLAMatchmaker; Pregnancy