Virtual crossmatches have been performed for more than 40 years under the guise of unacceptable antigens. Today, solid-phase assays provide the opportunity for more accurate identification and more precise measurement of the strength of donor-specific antibodies. The process of performing a virtual crossmatch begins with establishing a correlation between the antibody testing assay and the resu...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Use of incompatible kidney transplantation (IKT) is growing as a response to the organ shortage and the increase in sensitization among candidates. However, recent regulatory mandates possibly threaten IKT, and the potential effect of these mandates cannot be estimated because dissemination of this modality remains unknown. The goal of this study was to better understa...

BACKGROUND To monitor the performance of histocompatibility testing laboratories, HLA proficiency survey in Korea has been conducted biannually since 1996. In this report, we summarized the results of the surveys performed in recent two years (2005-2006). METHODS A total of four proficiency surveys were performed, in which 59-61 laboratories participated. Each survey included three tests for ...

Flow cytometric crossmatching (FCXM) and panel reactive antibody (PRA) screening techniques are more sensitive than anti-human globulin enhanced cytotoxicity (AHG-CDC) techniques at detecting anti-HLA antibodies. The clinical significance of a positive FCXM in primary renal transplant recipients with a negative AHG-CDC crossmatch is unclear. We performed retrospective FCXM and flow cytometric p...

Although the liver is resistant. to antibody-mediated rejection (1), a significant adverse effect has been reported of its transplantation into recipients with preformed cytotoxic antibodies (2). We report here a strategy that appears to convert the prognosis in such potentially disadvantaged patients to essentially the same if not better than that in conventionally treated crossmatch-negative ...

INTRODUCTION Hyperacute rejection may be prevented by avoiding the transplantation of kidneys into patients with pre-existing anti-donor Class I human leukocyte antigen antibodies. However, the role of anti-donor-Class II-human leukocyte antigen-DQ antibodies is not established. The question is ever more relevant as more sensitive cross-matching techniques detect many additional antibodies duri...

Despite significant improvements in islet transplantation, long-term graft function is still not optimal. It is likely that both immune and nonimmune factors are involved in the deterioration of islet function over time. Historically, the pretransplant T-cell crossmatch and antibody screening were done by anti-human globulin--complement-dependent cytotoxicity (AHG-CDC). Class II antibodies were...

The two-step matching process When an organ offer is made, a second cascade of screening events occurs. LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory in Tampa, FL, performs real-time nucleic-acid testing (NAT), which allows for the detection of HIV, West Nile virus, and hepatitis B genetic material. NAT is a more stringent protocol than simply testing the body’s response to an infectious disea...