Abstract
“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.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 3286-3291 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | American Journal of Transplantation |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2016 |
Keywords
- alloantibody
- antibody biology
- antigen presentation/recognition
- histocompatibility
- major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
- organ transplantation in general
- sensitization
- translational research/science
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Transplantation
- Pharmacology (medical)