Alloimmunization occurs during pregnancy when tissue antigens derived from the fetus
and/or placenta prime maternal immune cells to divide and differentiate. For many women,
the result of pregnancy alloimmunization is the formation of anti-HLA antibody that can
endure for decades and preclude transplantation by limiting donor compatibility. Pregnancy
alloimmunization may also generate memory B cells that can rapidly produce anti-HLA
antibody after transplantation as well as pathogenic memory T cells, which pose a threat to …