The effect of MICA antigens on kidney transplantation outcomes

Good HLA matches do not guarantee rejection-free kidney transplantation, indicating that other antigens might be targets for rejection. The major histocompatibility complex class I-related antigens A (MICA) are polymorphic. Mismatched MICA epitopes may lead to antibodies against MICA antigens and induce immune response. Establishment of detection technique for MICA, including solid-phase, immunofluorescence, flow-crossmatch, make it possible to detect the types of MICA antibodies. Therefore, the pathological role of MICA antibodies has received an increased attention in kidney transplantation. This review describes and summarizes the data from recent studies related to the impact of MICA antibodies on kidney allografts rejection and survival. And also provides evidence that the presence of MICA antibodies before or after transplantation, as a risk factor, is likely to be responsible for transplant outcomes.