PIRCHE application versions 3 and 4 lead to equivalent T cell epitope mismatch scores in solid organ and stem cell transplantation modules

Abstract

AbstractElevated PIRCHE scores between recipient and donor in organ and stem cell transplantation have been shown to correlate with increased risk of donor-specific HLA antibodies and graft-versus-host disease, respectively. With each revision of the PIRCHE application server, it is critical to completely evaluate the predicted scores, and compare with previous revisions. This manuscript compares the newly introduced PIRCHE version 4.2 with its predecessor version 3.3, which has been widely used in retrospective studies, using a virtual cohort of 10,000 transplant pairs. In the stem cell transplantation module, both versions yield identical results for 100% of the test population. In the solid organ transplantation module, 97% of the test population has identical PIRCHE scores in both versions. The deviating cases could be attributed to a refinement in the PIRCHE algorithm’s specification. For the 3% of cases with deviations, the determined magnitude of the difference is likely to be below the detection limit for clinical effects. We hereby confirm the equivalence in PIRCHE scores generated by the application server versions 3.3 and 4.2.