AHG AND DTE/AHG PROCEDURE IDENTIFICATION OF CROSS-MATCH-APPROPRIATE DONOR-RECIPIENT PAIRINGS THAT RESULT IN IMPROVED GRAFT-SURVIVAL

We compared our standard NIH (extended incubation) crossmatch (XM) with antihuman globulin (AHG) and flow cytometry crossmatches (FCXM) and correlated the results with primary cadaveric and retransplant graft survivals. In addition, we treated the XM sera with the reducing reagent dithioerythritol (DTE) to discriminate IgM from IgG immunoglobulin reactivity. For the 166 CsA-Pred-treated primary cadaveric renal allograft recipients the 1-year graft survival rate following an NIH-NEG XM was 81%. NIH-XM-NEG recipients who were also AHG-XM-NEG displayed an 82% 1-year graft survival as well. In contrast, NIH-NEG, but AHG-POS XM primary CAD recipients displayed a significantly reduced graft survival rate of 67%. Treatment of AHG-POS XM sera with DTE-delineated DTE/AHG-NEG and POS crossmatches associated with significantly different graft survivals of 83% and 0%, respectively, for these primary recipients. Flow cytometry XM results did not improve on the AHG-NEG or DTE/AHG-NEG XM primary graft survivals. These results were seen whether testing pre-Tx or historical (Hx) sera. For Re-Tx recipients an AHG-NEG XM resulted in significantly improved graft survival compared with the NIH-XM-NEG results. The overall 1-year graft survival rate for the 70 Re-Tx recipients studied was 64% (following a NEG pre-Tx NIH-XM). Re-Tx recipients with an AHG-NEG XM displayed an improved graft survival compared with NIH-XM-NEG recipients (77% vs. 64%, P < 0.05) and with AHG-POS recipients (77% vs. 36%, P < 0.01). However, treatment of Re-Tx, AHG-POS sera with DTE resulted in comparably poor graft survival rates of 31% and 50% for DTE/AHG-NEG and POS crossmatches, respectively. A FCXM did not improve on the results of Re-Tx graft survival following an AHG-NEG XM. These results were obtained whether testing pre-Tx or Hx sera. HLA matching, PRA, and the time the first Tx was lost did not influence the Re-Tx graft survival outcome following an AHG-NEG XM. Therefore, successful primary cadaveric renal allograft survival can be accomplished following either an AHG-NEG XM or an AHG-DTE-NEG XM. Re-Tx graft survival is significantly improved following an AHG-NEG XM. Re-Tx recipients with an AHG-POS XM who are either DTE/AHG-POS or -NEG display reduced graft survivals compared with AHG-NEG Re-Tx recipients.