Heat inactivation can differentiate between IgG and IgM antibodies in the pretransplant cross match.

The presence of IgG antibodies in the pretransplant cross-match (XM) test results in hyperacute rejection, but IgM antibodies are inconsequential. The XM should be able to differentiate between IgG and IgM antibodies. This study evaluated 3 methods. This study was based on 500 patients for whom XM were performed between 2004 and 2006 with all 3 techniques. Two patient sera were used: normal serum and heat inactivated serum, which was prepared by incubating patient serum at 63 degrees C for 10 minutes to destroy IgM antibodies. The efficiencies of flow cytometry XM (FC-XM), dithiothreitol complement-dependent microlymphocytotoxicity (DTT/CDC-XM), and heat inactivation (HI-CDC-XM) to differentiate between IgG and IgM were evaluated by using both sera. Patients with positive XM, and negative HI-CDC-XM were reported as negative XM. During the study period, there were 70 patients with positive B-cell XM. Forty-nine became negative after HI-XM, and 21 remained positive. Only 34 cases became negative after DTT-CDC-XM and 36 remained positive. HI-CDC-XM was comparable to FC-XM; all patients testing negative with this technique experienced successful renal transplantations without hyperacute, accelerated, or acute rejection episodes. Our study showed that HI-CDC-XM was effective at exclude donor-specific IgM antibodies, a result which was comparable to FCXM to detect only IgG antibodies. HI is simple and rapid and does not involve any extra equipment or cost.

Influence of antiidiotypic antibody activity on renal transplant outcome.

The presence of cytotoxic HLA antibodies (Ab1) against donor lymphocytes in pretransplant sera is almost always associated with rapid rejection of the renal transplant. We have investigated the possibility that antiidiotypic antibodies (Ab2) to cytotoxic HLA antibodies might modulate the immune response and favorably influence renal allograft outcome. The role of antibodies (Ab3) which potentiate the cytotoxic effect of Ab1 was also studied. Pretransplant sera from 63 patients were tested for inhibitory or potentiating activity in the short antiidiotypic assay. Inhibitory activity was detected in 30 patients and in 28 the transplant survived more than a year. Of patients without antibody activity 11 of 17 had grafts surviving more than one year, and of those showing potentiating activity 11 of 16 were functioning at a year. The difference in transplant survival between the first group and the other two groups was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). There was no significant difference in survival rates between the latter two groups. Potentiating activity is therefore not an independent predictor of transplant failure, whereas the presence of antiidiotypic antibody activity did correlate with improved allograft survival.

Renal transplantation: cyclosporin A and antibody development after donor-specific transfusion.

The survival of a one haplotype, mismatched living-related renal allograft is improved by donor specific transfusion (DST) before transplantation although the mechanism is unclear. The major risk of DST is sensitization of the recipient to donor lymphocytes precluding transplantation. Fifty prospective recipients of a living related transplant received either DST with cyclosporin A (group I) or DST alone (group II). Persistent donor sensitization precluding transplantation occurred in no patients in group I but in six in group II (P less than 0.05). Ten of 14 of those who developed donor cytotoxicity had previously been pregnant or received greater than or equal to 10 third party transfusions compared with 11 of 36 without such a history (P less than 0.05). Alloantibodies detected by a cellular ELISA developed following DST in 29% patients and antiidiotypic antibodies detected by the short antiidiotypic assay (SAA) in 36%; antiidiotypic activity occurred more frequently in those given cyclosporin A (P less than 0.02). Potentiating activity in the SAA which occurred in sera from six patients after DST had no influence on transplant outcome. Persistent sensitization, particularly in potential transplant recipients who have been pregnant or received many transfusions, can be prevented by giving cyclosporin A with DST; the mechanisms of this effect may be the induction of antiidiotypic antibodies. Both alloantibodies and antiidiotypic antibodies are induced by DST and may protect a subsequent renal allograft from the specific donor.

Antiidiotypic activity in sera from sensitised potential transplant recipients.

Antiidiotypic activity was determined in non-cytotoxic sera from highly sensitised dialysis patients who previously possessed broad-spectrum lymphocytotoxic antibodies. At least four non-cytotoxic sera from six transfused patients were tested in the short antiidiotypic antibody assay against lymphocytes known to be lysed by cytotoxic sera from the same patient. Of 87 sera/cell combinations studied, antiidiotypic activity was detected in 42 (48%). Antiidiotypic activity was present in IgG fractions and F(ab')2 fragments of two active sera. These results indicate that non-cytotoxic sera from patients who were once highly sensitised possess antiidiotypic activity. Fluctuating levels of lymphocytotoxic antibodies frequently encountered in sera from dialysis patients may be explained at least in part by the development of antiidiotypic antibodies.