The Role of MHC and Non-MHC Antigens in Allograft Immunity

Minor histocompatability antigens (MHA) are a group of cell-surface membrane proteins that are able to exclusively mediate a cellular immune response. These antigens (Ag) were initially distinguished from major histocompatibility antigens (MHC) by their weak immunogenicity in allograft transplants. As information describing their structure and function accumulated, the term MHA was misleading because these immunogens were neither weak nor minor. It became clear that non-MHC histocompatible antigens (non-MHC-HA) was a more appropriate name. Non-MHC HA are involved not only in transplantation but also in defining immunologic self and shaping the T cell reprtoire. This book investigates the biology of the non-MHC HA and their role in clinical medicine.