FC 112: HLA-Specific Memory B Cells and Paternal HLA Molecular Mismatch in Female Transplant Candidates Sensitized by Pregnancy
Authors: Sanz-Ureña Sara , Llinás Laura , Eguía Jorge , Olivé Aina , Yang Sihan , Karahan Gonca , Heidt Sebastiaan , Pascual Julio , Redondo-Pachón Dolores , Crespo Marta 
Published: May 2022

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Access to kidney transplantation (KT) may be limited by HLA sensitization. It is clinically relevant to know both level of HLA-immunization and potential sensitizing events in the history transplant candidates [1–3]. Pregnancy is a frequent sensitizing event in female transplant candidates. Women exposed to foreign paternal HLA can generate specific HLA antibodies (HLA-Ab) and memory B cells (mBc) [4, 5], which can be re-stimulated upon antigen reencounter after TR.

We aimed to study the existence of mBc able to produce HLA-Ab in female KT candidates with previous pregnancies, to compare them with HLA-Ab in their serum and to analyse them in the context of molecular HLA mismatch between mother and father.

METHOD

We selected eight HLA sensitized women awaiting KT, who fulfilled these criteria: minimum of one successful pregnancy before KT (12–44 years before) from a single partner, HLA-Ab (HLA class I or II) and availability of a DNA sample from the father of their children. All women in the study cohort and the father of their children were HLA typed by next-generation sequencing (NGS®) for HLA–A, B, C, DRB1, DRB3/4/5, DQB1/A1 and DPB1. We used peripheral blood mononuclear cells cryopreserved before KT. We cultured them with a polyclonal stimulation cocktail consisting of a Toll-like receptor 7/8 agonist and a proleukin for 10 days. We examined concentrated culture supernatants (SN) derived from activated cells, purified IgG and identified HLA-Abs using single antigen beads (SAB) on Luminex. Then, we compared the HLA-Ab profiles of SN and serum. We also studied the paternal molecular HLA incompatibilities with the HLAMatchmaker software.

RESULTS

After 10-day polyclonal stimulation, mBc increased from 29.90% (day 0) to 65.29% (day 10) (Figure 1), and antibody-secreting cells (ASC) from 0.08% (day 0) to 29.37% (day 10). SAB analysis revealed 211 HLA-Abs in serum and 116 HLA-Abs in SN: 98/211 (46.5%) of total HLA-Ab were serum-exclusive [78/98 (52.9%) class I and 25/98 (34.3%) class II] and only 3/116 (2.59%) HLA-Ab were SN-exclusive, all class II. Finally, we found 113/327 (34.6%) HLA-Ab shared by serum and SN: 65/113 (57.5%) class I and 48/113 (42.5%) class II.

Seven of eight women had Pregnancy-Induced Antibodies (PIA) in serum (20 HLA-Abs: 10 HLA class I and 10 HLA class II) and 4/8 women had PIA in SN (8 HLA-Abs: 2 HLA class I and 6 HLA class II) (Table 1). The HLAMatchmaker analysis showed that antibodies were reacting against incompatible paternal epitopes: in 6/8 women for HLA class I and 5/8 women for class HLA II in serum, and in 2/8 women for HLA class I and 4/8 women for HLA class II in SN.

CONCLUSION

We describe the study of the memory B cell compartment and the specific HLA-Abs produced by them with Luminex technology in KT female candidates with previous pregnancies. We found that the HLA-Abs secreted by these memory B cells followed a restricted pattern in number and intensity compared with serum HLA-Ab. The study of paternal HLA molecular mismatch incompatibilities explains many of these HLA-Abs decades after pregnancies. The entire value of this tool for risk stratification in HLA-sensitized patients awaiting TK is currently a matter of study.