Eric Spierings,
Matthijs Hendriks,
Léna Absi,
Angelica Canossi,
Sonal Chhaya,
John Crowley,
Harry Dolstra,
Jean-François Eliaou,
Tom Ellis,
Jürgen Enczmann, [......],
Rajni Rani,
Ruhena Sergeant,
Jackie Thomson,
Thuong Hien Tran,
Hannu Turpeinen,
Kuo-Liang Yang, Renata Zunec,
Mary Carrington,
Peter de Knijff,
Els Goulmy
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Minor histocompatibility (H) antigens are allogeneic target molecules having significant roles in alloimmune responses after human leukocyte antigen-matched solid organ and stem cell transplantation (SCT). Minor H antigens are instrumental in the processes of transplant rejection, graft-versus-host disease, and in the curative graft-versus-tumor effect of SCT. The latter characteristic enabled the current application of selected minor H antigens in clinical immunotherapeutic SCT protocols. No information exists on the global phenotypic distribution of the currently identified minor H antigens. Therefore, an estimation of their overall impact in human leukocyte antigen-matched solid organ and SCT in the major ethnic populations is still lacking. For the first time, a worldwide phenotype frequency analysis of ten autosomal minor H antigens was executed by 31 laboratories and comprised 2,685 randomly selected individuals from six major ethnic populations. Significant differences in minor H antigen frequencies were observed between the ethnic populations, some of which appeared to be geographically correlated.
PLoS Genetics 07/2007; 3(6):e103. · 8.69 Impact Factor
