Clinical Significance of HLA-E*0103 Homozygosity on Survival After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem-Cell Transplantation

Abstract

We found an association between HLA-E*0103 homozygosity and the significant reduction of transplant-related mortality in related and unrelated HSCT. The risk of posttransplant complications was significantly reduced when the donor possesses the HLA-E*0103, 0103 genotype, and this was translated in a better overall survival.

Clinical Significance of the HLA-E and CD94/NKG2 Interaction

“…Moreover, an association of recipient HLA-E*0103 homozygosity with improved likelihood of patient overall survival has been observed (Bogunia-Kubik et al 2009, which concurs with the results of Tamouza et al (2006) and Danzer et al (2009). They have observed that the presence of HLA-E*0103 allele in donors, either in homozygous or heterozygous state, is associated with increased survival rate expressed by decreased TRM and decreased risk of acute GvHD (Danzer et al 2009;Tamouza et al 2006). Other studies have also confirmed the anti-GvHD effect (Ludajic et al 2009).…”

The Rapid Induction of HLA-E Is Essential for the Survival of Antigen-Activated Naive CD4 T Cells from Attack by NK Cells

“…Recent reports have shown that the homozygous state for the HLA-E*0103 allele in allo-SCT recipients, which results in a higher cell surface expression of HLA-E, is associated with a lower incidence of transplant-related mortality (54) and an improved overall survival (55). These findings suggest a protective role for HLA-E against endothelial damage by NK cells.…”

Association of HLA-E*01:01/*01:03 polymorphism with methotrexate-based treatment response in South Indian rheumatoid arthritis patients

“…HLA-E rs1264457 is minimally polymorphic with 15 alleles described so far (The IMGT/HLA Sequence Database available at: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ipd/imgt/hla/stats accessed July 2014). Two of these alleles, HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03 exist at a frequency of nearly 50% in various populations like South Korean (49% vs. 51%), 4 Thai (43% vs. 57%), 5 African American (57% vs. 43%), 6 African Shona (51% vs. 49%), 7 Hispanics (56% vs. 44%) 8 and Australian (57% vs. 43%) 9 suggesting that balancing selection is acting on this gene, with putative functional differences between these two variants. 10 The single amino acid that differs between HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03 alleles is located at position 107 on the a2 domain of the HLA-E heavy chain, where an Arg (HLA-E*01:01) is substituted for a Gly (HLA-E*01:03).…”