Clinical Significance of Minor Histocompatibility Antigens in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation

Abstract

Minor histocompatibility antigens consist of HLA-bound peptides derived from cellular proteins encoded by polymorphic genes that differ between transplant donor and recipient. More than 20 of human minor histocompatibility antigens have been molecularly characterized. In HLA-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, donor T cell recognition of recipient minor histocompatibility antigens is responsible for graft-versus-host disease and the graft-versus-tumor effect.