Abstract
Many recent studies have demonstrated increased acute humoral, cellular, subclinical, or chronic rejection, and decreased allograft survival in flow cytometry cross-match--positive kidney transplant recipients. The use of newer techniques and more sensitive of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or Flow Beads (microparticle based methods), donor-specific anti--human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies have been detected in these immunologically high-risk patients. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has immunomodulatory effects and has been demonstrated to downregulate anti-HLA antibodies in highly sensitized dialysis patients awaiting transplantation. Our initial studies demonstrate that IVIG induction treatment is promising in flow cytometry cross-match--positive kidney transplant recipients, and thus, those patients should not be excluded from receiving transplantation despite a positive flow cytometry cross match. Further studies with long-term follow-up are required to determine the effective dose and duration of IVIG treatment, and additional studies are needed to determine the most accurate tests for risk stratification.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 359-363 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Human Immunology |
Volume | 66 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Cross match
- Flow cytometry
- Intravenous immunoglobulin
- Kidney transplantation
- Thymoglobulin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Allergy
- Immunology