Article
Immunology
Christian Unterrainer, Bernd Doehler, Matthias Niemann, Nils Lachmann, Caner Susal
Summary: The study shows that utilizing the PIRCHE-II algorithm for donor-recipient epitope matching can predict the survival of kidney transplants, while HLA antigen matching remains an important predictor of graft survival.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Nicholas G. Larkins, Lloyd D'Orsogna, Anne Taverniti, Ankit Sharma, Aron Chakera, Doris Chan, Anoushka Krishnan, Germaine Wong, Wai H. Lim
Summary: High resolution HLA typing is crucial for eplet compatibility and specificity of DSA. NGS and LD typing show high concordance but significant differences. Inaccurate DSA assignment from LD typing may inappropriately exclude candidates.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Emma T. M. Peereboom, Benedict M. Matern, Toshihide Tomosugi, Matthias Niemann, Julia Drylewicz, Irma Joosten, Wil A. Allebes, Arnold van der Meer, Luuk B. Hilbrands, Marije C. Baas, Franka E. van Reekum, Marianne C. Verhaar, Elena G. Kamburova, Marc A. J. Seelen, Jan Stephan Sanders, Bouke G. Hepkema, Annechien J. Lambeck, Laura B. Bungener, Caroline Roozendaal, Marcel G. J. Tilanus, Christien E. Voorter, Lotte Wieten, Elly M. van Duijnhoven, Marielle A. C. J. Gelens, Maarten H. L. Christiaans, Frans J. van Ittersum, Azam Nurmohamed, Neubury M. Lardy, Wendy Swelsen, Karlijn A. van der Pant, Neelke C. van der Weerd, Ineke J. M. ten Berge, Frederike J. Bemelman, Aiko P. J. de Vries, Johan W. de Fijter, Michiel G. H. Betjes, Dave L. Roelen, Frans H. Claas, Henny G. Otten, Sebastiaan Heidt, Arjan D. van Zuilen, Takaaki Kobayashi, Kirsten Geneugelijk, Eric Spierings
Summary: The presence of pre-transplant donor-reactive CD4(+) memory T-helper cells may increase the risk of graft failure following kidney transplantation, as shown by the significant association between Shared T-cell EPitopes (STEP) score and the 10-year risk of death-censored kidney graft failure.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
M. Ellison, M. Mangiola, M. Marrari, C. Bentlejewski, J. Sadowski, D. Zern, Cynthia Silvia Maria Kramer, S. Heidt, M. Niemann, Q. Xu, A. I. Dipchand, W. T. Mahle, J. W. Rossano, C. E. Canter, T. P. Singh, W. A. Zuckerman, D. T. Hsu, B. Feingold, S. A. Webber, A. Zeevi
Summary: A combination of HLA-EMMA and PIRCHE-II algorithms can improve risk stratification of pediatric heart transplant recipients. This new way of risk evaluation allows for more individualized immunosuppression and surveillance.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Rachel M. Engen, Aneta M. Jedraszko, Michael A. Conciatori, Anat R. Tambur
Summary: High-resolution HLA typing is essential for histocompatibility assessment in transplantation, but imputation tools like HaploStats and HLA Matchmaker show varying levels of accuracy, with significant errors especially for non-Caucasian individuals. Eplet analysis reveals additional inaccuracies, cautioning against widespread clinical or research use of imputation tools.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Nizar Joher, Marie Matignon, Philippe Grimbert
Summary: The presence of anti-HLA antibodies is a major barrier to solid organ transplantation. Desensitization protocols have shown improvements in transplantation rates but limitations still exist, prompting interest in new desensitization approaches focused on targeting alloimmune pathways beyond antibodies. Targeting CD38 to desensitize in the field of transplantation is an emerging concept worth further exploration.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Siqi Liu, Nicolaas A. Bos, Erik A. M. Verschuuren, Debbie van Baarle, Johanna Westra
Summary: The article discusses the importance and significance of HLA-G in transplantation as a crucial molecule in combating rejection reactions. During pregnancy, it also helps maintain immune tolerance between mother and fetus.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Johan de Fijter, Geertje Dreyer, Marko Mallat, Klemens Budde, Johann Pratschke, Jurgen Klempnauer, Martin Zeier, Wolfgang Arns, Christian Hugo, Lars-Christian Rump, Ingeborg Hauser, Peter Schenker, Mario Schiffer, Marc-Oliver Grimm, Volker Kliem, Christoph J. Olbricht, Przemyslaw Pisarski, Bernhard Banas, Barbara Suwelack, Oliver Hakenberg, Gabriela Berlakovich, Stefan Schneeberger, Jacqueline van de Wetering, Stefan Berger, Frederike Bemelman, Dirk Kuypers, Sebastiaan Heidt, Axel Rahmel, Frans Claas, Patrick Peeters, Rainer Oberbauer, Uwe Heemann, Bernhard K. Kramer
Summary: The Eurotransplant Senior Program has improved the chance for elderly kidney failure patients to receive timely transplants. This study found that matching for HLA-DR antigens significantly improved five-year patient and kidney allograft survival.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Evan P. Kransdorf, Marcelo J. Pando, Darren Stewart, Kelsi Lindblad, Robert Bray, Cathi Murphey, Navchetan Kaur, Jignesh K. Patel, Irene Kim, Xiaohai Zhang, Martin Maiers, Jon A. Kobashigawa, Loren Gragert
Summary: The study found that HLA data derived from stem cell donors can generate CPRA values comparable to those from deceased kidney donors, improving upon issues with the current reference panel and enhancing equity in kidney transplant allocation.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sandra Tafulo, Jorge Malheiro, Sofia Santos, Leonidio Dias, Manuela Almeida, La Salete Martins, Sofia Pedroso, Cecilia Mendes, Luisa Lobato, Antonio Castro-Henriques
Summary: HLA donor-specific antibodies that develop post-transplant are a major cause of chronic allograft dysfunction. The study found that HLA MM mismatch, along with preformed DSA, unrelated living donors, and retransplantation, were predictors of dnDSA-II development. HLA-II EpvMM was identified as a superior predictor of dnDSA-II, with significantly lower graft survival observed in patients with dnDSA-II. This highlights the importance of HLA molecular mismatch analysis in minimizing risk for dnDSA development and improving outcomes in kidney transplantation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Ilse Gille, Renate S. Hagedoorn, Ellen M. W. van der Meer-Prins, Mirjam H. M. Heemskerk, Sebastiaan Heidt
Summary: HLA-sensitized patients on the transplant waiting list may face difficulties in finding a compatible donor organ due to antibodies and memory B cells directed against allogeneic HLA molecules. In this study, a new immunotherapy approach called Chimeric HLA Antibody Receptor (CHAR) was developed to specifically target HLA-directed humoral immune responses. The CHAR T cells showed activation and killing of HLA-specific B cells, providing evidence for their potential use in desensitizing highly sensitized solid organ transplant candidates and treating antibody-mediated rejection after transplantation.
Review
Oncology
Rosario Mazzola, Francesco Cuccia, Alessandro Bertani, Slavisa Tubin, Pier Giulio Conaldi, Stefanie Corradini, Maria Tolia, Markus Guba, Filippo Alongi
Summary: Radiotherapy in cancer patients with prior organ transplants poses challenges due to potential effects on immunosuppressive therapy and organ tolerance. This systematic review aims to assess the safety and efficacy of radiotherapy in these patients, focusing on modern treatment techniques.
Article
Immunology
Hao Sun, Zhenhua Lu, Guoyun Xuan, Ning Liu, Tianhu Wang, Yang Liu, Mingfu Lan, Jiahao Xu, Yuancai Feng, Shuang Xu, Yuchen Lu, Baozeng Sun, Jinpeng Zhang, Xiyang Zhang, Yuanjie Sun, Shuya Yang, Yun Zhang, Yusi Zhang, Linfeng Cheng, Dongbo Jiang, Kun Yang
Summary: The study identified numerous MHC-II epitopes in the HTNV GP with potential for vaccine development. Six dominant epitopes were validated, meeting the requirements of candidate vaccines for large-population prophylaxis and indicating potential immune protection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Ekaterina Lezoeva, Jakob Nilsson, Rudolf Wuethrich, Thomas F. Mueller, Thomas Schachtner
Summary: Currently, there is no consensus on the treatment of borderline rejection (BLR), but high PIRCHE scores can help identify patients at high risk for immune-mediated injury.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Prabin Kumar, Akshay Chaudhary, Mayur Makwana, Kajal Thanki, Khushagra Parekh
Summary: This paper reports the full-length genomic sequence of the HLA-A*01:109 allele identified in a solid organ donor.
Article
Transplantation
Rozemarijn Snoek, Richard H. van Jaarsveld, Tri Q. Nguyen, Edith D. J. Peters, Martin G. Elferink, Robert F. Ernst, Maarten B. Rookmaaker, Marc R. Lilien, Eric Spierings, Roel Goldschmeding, Nine V. A. M. Knoers, Bert van der Zwaag, Arjan D. van Zuilen, Albertien M. van Eerde
Summary: Genetic testing in chronic kidney disease patients, especially those with high likelihood of genetic disease, can provide early diagnosis, impact prognosis and treatment, and reduce the need for invasive biopsies.
NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Toshihide Tomosugi, Kenta Iwasaki, Shintaro Sakamoto, Matthias Niemann, Eric Spierings, Isao Nahara, Kenta Futamura, Manabu Okada, Takahisa Hiramitsu, Asami Takeda, Norihiko Goto, Shunji Narumi, Yoshihiko Watarai, Takaaki Kobayashi
Summary: Evaluation of shared T cell epitopes can help predict the risk of early de novo DSA formation after kidney transplantation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Benedict M. Matern, Steven J. Mack, Kazutoyo Osoegawa, Martin Maiers, Matthias Niemann, James Robinson, Sebastiaan Heidt, Eric Spierings
Summary: The International Human Leukocyte Antigen and Immunogenetics Workshops have encouraged international collaboration among researchers and experts in the fields of HLA, histocompatibility, and immunology, involving projects with specific goals that require complex data collection and analysis. The Histoimmunogenetics Markup Language (HML) document facilitates the transmission of genotype data and metadata, emphasizing the importance of selecting the correct reference sequences for allele sequences.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Matthias Niemann, Nils Lachmann, Kirsten Geneugelijk, Eric Spierings
Summary: The study evaluated the impact of epitope matching on kidney allocation through simulations, finding that epitope-based matching is feasible in deceased donor kidney allocation while maintaining balance on the waiting list. This method can improve estimated graft survival without significantly affecting kidney exchange rates and waiting time.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Dan Koning, Esther D. Quakkelaar, Ingrid M. M. Schellens, Eric Spierings, Debbie van Baarle
Summary: CD8(+) T cells play a significant role in controlling untreated HIV infection. HLA-B*27 and B*57 are associated with delayed HIV disease progression, but the specific factors providing superior immunity against HIV are unclear. This study found that there were no differences in TCR diversity between progressors and slow progressors, and both HLA alleles recruited biased T cell repertoires. These findings suggest that progressors and slow progressors have highly similar T cell repertoires in terms of TCR diversity, usage, and cross-reactivity.
JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Gautam Kok, Monique M. A. Verstegen, Roderick H. J. Houwen, Edward E. S. Nieuwenhuis, Herold J. Metselaar, Wojciech G. Polak, Luc J. W. van der Laan, Eric Spierings, Caroline M. den Hoed, Sabine A. Fuchs
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching and liver transplantation outcomes. The results showed that HLA matching is not necessary for liver transplantation for nonautoimmune disease. However, HLA matching may affect the risk of acute rejection and graft loss for patients with autoimmune disease.
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Effie W. Petersdorf, Mats Bengtsson, Mary Horowitz, Caroline McKallor, Stephen R. Spellman, Eric Spierings, Ted A. Gooley, Phil Stevenson
Summary: HLA-DQ heterodimers influence susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, but their role in hematopoietic cell transplantation is unknown. This study found that the presence of G2 heterodimers increased the risk of relapse in HLA-matched and HLA-DQ-mismatched patients undergoing transplantation, and the risk increased with a higher number of G2 molecules.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raphael Carapito, Ismail Aouadi, Martin Verniquet, Meiggie Untrau, Angelique Pichot, Thomas Beaudrey, Xavier Bassand, Sebastien Meyer, Loic Faucher, Juliane Posson, Aurore Morlon, Irina Kotova, Florent Delbos, Alexandre Walencik, Alice Aarnink, Anne Kennel, Caroline Suberbielle, Jean-Luc Taupin, Benedict M. Matern, Eric Spierings, Nicolas Congy-Jolivet, Arnaud Essaydi, Peggy Perrin, Antoine Blancher, Dominique Charron, Nezih Cereb, Myriam Maumy-Bertrand, Frederic Bertrand, Valerie Garrigue, Vincent Pernin, Laurent Weekers, Maarten Naesens, Nassim Kamar, Christophe Legendre, Denis Glotz, Sophie Caillard, Marc Ladriere, Magali Giral, Dany Anglicheau, Caner Suesal, Seiamak Bahram
Summary: This study investigates the role of the MICA gene in a French multicenter cohort of kidney transplants and finds that MICA mismatches are associated with decreased graft survival. Both before and after transplantation, anti-MICA donor-specific antibodies are strongly associated with increased antibody-mediated rejection. This effect is synergetic with anti-HLA DSA. De novo-developed anti-MICA DSA are the most harmful and associated with reduced graft survival. Evaluation of MICA matching and immunization is warranted for identifying high-risk transplant rejection and loss.
Review
Immunology
Emma T. M. Peereboom, Benedict M. Matern, Eric Spierings, Kirsten Geneugelijk
Summary: Single-cell technologies play a crucial role in solid organ transplantation research, providing insights into the immunological mechanisms of rejection and tolerance, and facilitating the development of new therapies.
Article
Immunology
Matthias Niemann, Benedict M. Matern, Eric Spierings
Summary: Histocompatibility in solid-organ transplantation greatly affects graft survival. This study proposes an allele-specific solvent accessibility hypothesis for HLA proteins and develops a computational pipeline to predict the solvent accessibility of HLA Class I proteins. Results show that there are variations in solvent accessibility between different HLA proteins, which has important implications for refining B-cell epitope definitions.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Michiel G. H. Betjes, Emma T. M. Peereboom, Henny G. Otten, Eric Spierings
Summary: The role of the indirect T-cell recognition pathway in acute T cell-mediated rejection is important, and the Predicted Indirectly ReCognizable HLA Epitopes algorithm can quantify the number of T-cell epitopes. The PIRCHE-II score for donor HLA-DR/DQ is highly associated with vascular rejection.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Gerdien Mijnheer, Nila Hendrika Servaas, Jing Yao Leong, Arjan Boltjes, Eric Spierings, Phyllis Chen, Liyun Lai, Alessandra Petrelli, Sebastiaan Vastert, Rob J. de Boer, Salvatore Albani, Aridaman Pandit, Femke van Wijk, Di Chen
Summary: Autoimmune inflammation is characterized by tissue infiltration and expansion of antigen-specific T cells. In this study, the authors used CyTOF analysis and TCR sequencing to investigate the immune cell composition and expansion of specific T cell clones in juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). They found that the infiltrates in different affected joints of the same patient were similar, and dominant T cell clones, including Tregs, persisted over time. These findings suggest the presence of autoantigen-driven expansion of T cell clones in localized autoimmune disease.
Article
Cell Biology
Jan A. Hofmann, Werner Bochtler, James Robinson, Juergen Sauter, Medhat Askar, Lucie Houdova, Mark Melchers, Alexander H. Schmidt, Eric Spierings, Christine Urban, Alicia Venter, Martin Maiers, Steven G. E. Marsh, Hans-Peter Eberhard
Summary: The guidelines for HLA nomenclature have become a reliable standard for communication of HLA data in the hematopoietic cell transplantation process. With the advent of next-generation sequencing, it is now necessary to discuss how to communicate novel HLA alleles. Until these alleles are officially designated, they need to be handled according to specific rules.
Article
Cell Biology
Benedict M. Matern, Matthias Niemann, Ioannis Nemparis, Andreas Schimanski, Emma T. M. Peereboom, Cynthia S. M. Kramer, Sebastiaan Heidt, Eric Spierings
Summary: The International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop (IHIW) is a recurring gathering where researchers, technologists and clinicians collaborate on projects and establish standards for representing HLA and immunogenic determinants. The 18th IHIW Database is a cloud-based platform that collects and analyzes project-specific data using established HLA data standards and web technologies.
Article
Cell Biology
Matthias Niemann, Benedict M. Matern, Eric Spierings
Summary: Allorecognition of donor HLA is crucial for kidney graft survival, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Snowball prediction pipeline, which fits smaller ellipsoids iteratively to substructures, shows higher sensitivity than the ElliPro approach in fine parts of the HLA. The cloud-based web service Snowflake extends the prediction pipeline by considering protein- and position-specific surface area and protrusion ranks.
