Development of an immunogenicity score for HLA-DQ eplets: A conceptual study.

Eplets are defined as distinct amino acid configurations on the surface of HLA molecules. The aim of this study was to estimate the immunogenicity of HLA-DQ eplets in a cohort of 221 pregnancies with HLA-DQ mismatches. We defined the immunogenicity of an eplet by the frequency of antibody responses against it.

Toward defining the immunogenicity of HLA epitopes: Impact of HLA class I eplets on antibody formation during pregnancy.

Eplets are functional units of structural epitopes on donor HLA, potentially recognized by complementarity-determining regions of the paratope of the recipients' B-cell receptors or antibodies (Ab). Their individual immunogenicity is poorly described, yet this feature would be of clinical importance for pretransplant risk assessment. The aim of this study was to determine the relative immunogenicity of HLA class I eplets in the pregnancy setting, where mismatched eplets are present on paternal HLA antigens of the unborn child.