| Summary: | Alloresponses to blood group antigens result from antigen mismatch between donor and recipient during blood transfusion or transplantation and between mother and fetus during pregnancy. During pregnancy, antigen mismatch can result in haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), a disease characterised by the development of potentially harmful alloantibodies, which cross the placenta and mediate the destruction of fetal erythrocytes. This project investigates examples of clinically important alloresponses to blood group antigens and, more specifically, characterises the ymphocytes that either drive or regulate these responses. The main aims or this project were to first map alioreactive T-helper cell epitopes and secondly to clone using a novel method, IL-10 secreting blood group specific regulatory cells. The work focussed on two major antigens, the kell (K) 1 and Rhesus (Rh) D antigens.
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