Misleading de novo detection of serum anti-HLA-A3 antibodies in kidney recipients having received ATG before transplantation.

Anti-HLA antibody (Ab) monitoring is essential for the follow-up of transplant patients. However, it can be affected by drugs, especially Ab infused as a conditioning regimen for transplantation. ATG Fresenius, commonly used in this setting, is a polyclonal rabbit Ab raised against the Jurkat human T cell line (HLA-A3, 32; B7, 35).

Increased production of soluble CTLA-4 in patients with spondylarthropathies correlates with disease activity.

Introduction: Spondylarthropathies (SpA) are characterized by abnormal immune responses including T cell activation. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated molecule-4 (CTLA-4) is involved in down-regulating immune responses. A soluble form of CTLA-4 (sCTLA-4), resulting from an alternative splicing, has been identified and was found increased in several autoimmune diseases.

[Banking and indications for cord blood grafts].

A cord blood graft is now frequently used in the context of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation. In 2007, 27% of unrelated allotransplantations performed in France used a cord blood graft. In comparison to other sources of hematopoietic grafts, cord blood has a number of advantages (immediate availability of the graft, possibility of a lesser HLA compatibility between donor and recipient.

Hyperacute rejection after lung transplantation caused by undetected low-titer anti-HLA antibodies.

Hyperacute rejection is an early complication of transplantation, caused by the presence in the recipient of pre-formed donor-directed antibodies (Ab). We report a case of fatal early graft dysfunction after lung transplantation in a female recipient with no anti-HLA Ab detected before transplantation. Further immunologic studies revealed the presence, in the pre-transplant serum, of low-titer anti-HLA Ab directed against the donor's HLA, detectable only by flow-cytometry screening for panel-reactive antibodies.

Bacterial extract (OM-89) specific and non specific immunomodulation in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

The Escherichia Coli bacterial extract (OM-89) is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We evaluated the immunological changes induced by oral administration of OM-89 in 12 RA patients (polyclonal T cell reactivity to PHA, T cell precursor frequencies specific for OM-89 and Tetanus toxoid (TT), a control antigen and the release of Th1 (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha), Th2 (IL-4) and T regulatory 1 cell (Tr1) (IL-10) cytokines in the supernatants of PBMC cultures. Stimulation index in response to PHA decreased at month 3 as well as T cell precursor frequencies specific for TT with similar trends for OM-89-specific T cell precursor frequencies.

T-cell flow-cytometry crossmatch and long-term renal graft survival.

Flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) is a more sensitive technique than classical complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) for the detection of donor-directed antibody before renal transplantation. Nevertheless, the role of FCXM in predicting long-term survival of kidney grafts is still unclear. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of a positive T-cell FCXM (T-FCXM) on long-term kidney allografts outcome.

Polymorphisms of the TAP1 and TAP2 genes in human alveolar echinococcosis.

We postulated that TAP genes may influence the susceptibility of some individuals to Echinococcus multilocularis infection. Six coding region variants (codons 333 and 637 in TAP1, and 379, 565, 651 and 665 in TAP2) were typed in 94 patients and 100 controls. Thr/Thr homozygosity at TAP2/665 was more prevalent in patients than in controls [64% vs.

Flow cytometric evaluation of pregnancy-induced anti-HLA immunization and blood transfusion-induced reactivation.

Background: Pregnancy-induced alloimmunization (PIA) may decrease to a level that becomes undetectable by complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). Nevertheless, such alloimmunization may provoke acute rejections after kidney transplantation and lead to broad-spectrum immunizations after transfusion. Flow-cytometry (FC) was used to estimate the frequency of low-level PIA and to evaluate its influence on posttransfusion alloimmunization profiles.

Increased presence of anti-HLA antibodies early after allogeneic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation compared with bone marrow transplantation.

We have recently shown that the use of allogeneic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-mobilized peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (PBHSCT), as compared with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), is associated with increased titers of antibodies (Abs) directed against red blood cell ABO antigens. To further evaluate the influence of a G-CSF-mobilized PBHSCT graft on alloimmune Ab responses, we examined the frequency of anti-HLA Abs after transplantation in the setting of the same randomized study, comparing PBHSCT with BMT in adults. Anti-HLA Ab presence was determined by complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay (CDC) and flow cytometry in the recipient before and 30 days after transplantation as well as in the donor before graft donation.

TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis in a population in eastern France.

The 'transporter associated with antigen processing' (TAP) gene products are involved in the processing of endogenous peptides that bind to class I molecules. Polymorphism within these genes could alter the level of the immune response, a phenomenon relevant to the development of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we examined the polymorphism of TAP1 and TAP2 genes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Flow-PRA evaluation for antibody screening in patients awaiting kidney transplantation.

Flow-PRA is a flow cytometric method for both anti-HLA class I and class II antibody (Ab) detection. We evaluated this technique for Ab screening in patients awaiting kidney transplantation. After having established a rigorous threshold for positivity, a three-dilution difference in sensitivity between Flow-PRA and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) persisted.

A novel HLA-B null allele (B*4022N) generated by a nonsense codon in the alpha1 domain.

We describe in this work a novel HLA-B null allele designated B*4022N. This new variant was found in a Caucasian individual who was serologically typed for one HLA-B allele as a B-blank, Bw-blank. Retrospective DNA typing by polymerase chain reaction using sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) has established the correspondence of this blank allele with the classical HLA-B*4001 allele.

The association of HLA-DM genes with rheumatoid arthritis in Eastern France.

In this study, the polymorphisms of the HLA DMA and DMB genes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were examined.DMA and DMB typing was performed in 120 white RA patients from eastern France and 100 healthy controls, using PCR-SSO (sequence specific oligonucleotide probes) method for DMA determination and PCR-RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) method for DMB typing. All patients and controls had been HLA DRB1* genotyped.

HLA-DRB1 alleles and shared amino acid sequences in disease susceptibility and severity in patients from eastern France with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To examine the effects of HLA-DRB1 alleles and amino acid sequences that carry the shared epitope (SE) upon rheumatoid arthritis (RA) susceptibility and disease severity in patients from Eastern France.

Methods: HLA-DRB1 alleles were determined in 120 patients and 104 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction/sequence specific oligonucleotide probes. Subtyping of DRB1*01 and *04 were performed using sequence specific primers.

Impaired renal graft survival after a positive B-cell flow-cytometry crossmatch.

Background: The clinical and immunological relevance of a positive B-cell flow-cytometry (B-FCXM) crossmatch in renal transplantation is still controversial.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed 145 consecutive cadaveric renal transplantations performed from May 1991 to September 1995 in our institution. All grafts were transplanted following a negative IgG T-cell complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch (T-CDCXM).