Antigen–antibody complex density and antibody-induced HLA protein unfolding influence Fc-mediated antibody effector function
2024

Understanding Antibody Function in Transplant Rejection

publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Murali Tanusya Murali, Gu Yue, Minhat Rabiatul Adawiyah, Yap Jiawei, Wood Kathryn J., Wang Cheng-I, Gascoigne Nicholas R. J., Anantharaman Vathsala, MacAry Paul Anthony

Primary Institution: National University of Singapore

Hypothesis

How do antigen–antibody complex density and antibody-induced HLA protein unfolding influence Fc-mediated antibody effector function?

Conclusion

The study found that pathogenic alloantibodies exhibit higher antigen–antibody complex density, which correlates with their ability to induce immune responses in transplant rejection.

Supporting Evidence

  • Pathogenic antibodies showed four to ten times higher antigen–antibody complex density compared to non-pathogenic antibodies.
  • Complement-dependent cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity were significantly higher in pathogenic antibodies.
  • Binding kinetics did not correlate with pathogenicity, as non-pathogenic antibodies had better affinities.

Takeaway

Some antibodies can help the body fight off transplanted organs, while others don't do much. This study looks at what makes some antibodies more effective than others.

Methodology

The study used hydrogen–deuterium exchange–mass spectrometry, molecular dynamics simulations, and various biochemical assays to analyze human monoclonal alloantibodies.

Limitations

The study used HLA monomers for binding assays, which may not fully represent the actual binding of antibodies to HLAs on cell surfaces.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.0286

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3389/fimmu.2024.1438285

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