Do noninherited maternal antigens (NIMA) enhance renal graft survival?

• Published in: Transplant international 1998-03, Vol.11 (2), p.82-88
• Main Authors: Smits, Jacqueline M. A., Claas, Frans H.J., Houwelingen, Hans C., Persijn, Guido G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Databases, Factual; Female; Graft Survival; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - immunology; Histocompatibility Testing; HLA-A Antigens - immunology; HLA-B Antigens - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired - immunology; Key words; Kidney Transplantation; kidney transplantation Acceptable mismatches; kidney transplantation Immunological tolerance; kidney transplantation Kidney transplantation; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Noninherited maternal antigens; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the urinary system
• ISSN: 0934-0874; 1432-2277
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1432-2277.1998.tb00781.x

To test the hypothesis that noninherited maternal antigens (NIMA) can modulate the alloreactivity of infant cells and provide protection for renal transplant recipients, a study of renal transplantations performed between 1980 and 1991 was undertaken. The survival rate of grafts with a mismatched antigen identical to the NIMA was compared to that of grafts in which the mismatched antigen was not identical to the NIMA. In the case of HLA‐A mismatches, graft survival rates were significantly better for NIMA‐mismatched transplants: 94% and 83% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, for single NIMA HLA‐A mismatched trans plants, and 83 % and 67 % when both HLA‐A antigens were mismatched, compared to 76 % and 68% (one non‐NIMA HLA‐A mismatch) and 67% and 45% (two non‐NIMA HLA‐A mismatches). Our results suggest that some class 1 NIMA‐mismatched antigens are not harmful to renal transplant recipients.