Assessing the utilization of high-resolution 2-field HLA typing in solid organ transplantation.

HLA typing in solid organ transplantation (SOT) is necessary for determining HLA-matching status between donor-recipient pairs and assessing patients' anti-HLA antibody profiles. Histocompatibility has traditionally been evaluated based on serologically defined HLA antigens. The evolution of HLA typing and antibody identification technologies, however, has revealed many limitations with using serologic equivalents for assessing compatibility in SOT. The significant improvements to HLA typing introduced by next-generation sequencing (NGS) require an assessment of the impact of this technology on SOT. We have assessed the role of high-resolution 2-field HLA typing (HR-2F) in SOT by retrospectively evaluating NGS-typed pre- and post-SOT cases. HR-2F typing was highly instructive or necessary in 41% (156/385) of the cases. Several pre- and posttransplant scenarios were identified as being better served by HR-2F typing. Five different categories are presented with specific case examples. The experience of another center (Temple University Hospital) is also included, whereby 21% of the cases required HR-2F typing by Sanger sequencing, as supported by other legacy methods, to properly address posttransplant anti-HLA antibody issues.

Antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplant recipients: potential efficacy of B-cell depletion and antibody removal.

We present four patients with late AMR following cardiac transplantation, which was associated with de novo post-transplant anti-HLA class II antibody production. All patients had negative anti-HLA class I and class II antibodies prior to transplantation (as assessed by sensitive Flow PRA bead assays) and had a negative retrospective T- and B-cell flow cytometric cross-match. Upon presentation with late graft rejection due to AMR, all patients were treated with rituximab and serial plasmapheresis with IVIg plus triple-drug immunosuppression therapy. Despite initial responses to therapy, relapses occurred in all of the patients and necessitated prolonged or multiple hospital admissions and second transplants in two cases. Post-transplant serum antibody monitoring did not prove to be predictive of treatment success or failure. Serum anti-HLA antibodies should be monitored after heart transplantation. We recommend an assessment of anti-HLA antibodies following a decline in immunosuppressant drug levels or in the presence of heart failure symptoms. Anti-HLA antibody detection should be performed using very sensitive techniques such as microparticle-based assays.