Improvement in the definition of anti-HLA antibody profile in highly sensitized patients

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 3;12(2):e0171463. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171463. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The definition of anti-HLA antibody profile in highly sensitized patients on a waiting list is crucial when virtual crossmatch is used in organ allocation systems, but also when used to identify the true deleterious anti-HLA antibodies. Here we propose different levels of risk based on the results of anti-HLA antibody testing in neat serum (N) and after sera dilution (DIL) and C1q test in 18 highly sensitized patients. This group was heterogeneous in terms of anti-HLA antibody titers and their ability to fix complement. After dilution, 15 out of 18 patients (83.3%) showed a reduction of positive bead counts whereas 4 patients showed a prozone effect and complement fixation was demonstrated. The high dilution of sera and ascertaining the complement fixation allow the accurate definition of risk anti-HLA antibody profiles in highly sensitized patients, as demonstrated in 5 of the sensitized patients who were transplanted.

MeSH terms

  • Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Complement Activation
  • Complement C1q / immunology
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • HLA Antigens / immunology*
  • Histocompatibility Testing / methods
  • Humans
  • Leukocytes, Mononuclear / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • HLA Antigens
  • Complement C1q

Grants and funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.