Structurally based epitope analysis of major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) antibody specificity patterns.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies have suggested a clinical significance to the detection of anti-major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) antibodies in transplantation. We have developed an eplet-based version of the HLAMatchmaker algorithm to assess the epitope specificity of these antibodies. Molecular viewing of the MICA structure and the determination of amino acid sequence differences between MICA alleles has yielded a repertoire of 38 potentially immunogenic MICA eplets. These eplets are based on the functional epitope structure that considers a configuration of amino acids within a 3-Angstrom radius of an antibody-accessible polymorphic residue on the molecular surface. In this study MICA-reactive sera were screened in Luminex assays with single MICA allele panels and analyzed

SUBMITTER: Duquesnoy RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2636556 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature