Prediction of organ transplant rejection by HLA-specific and non-HLA antibodies--brief literature review

Abstract

The application of solid-phase assays for detection and definition of Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-specific antibodies has significantly facilitated the diagnosis and monitoring of treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). There is, however, a major discussion in the literature concerning the clinical relevance of the use of the Luminex technique for the prediction of cellular and/or AMR and survival. This may be explained on one hand by the complexities of the method and on the other by variations in patient demographic characteristics, immunosuppression and other factors. As far as non-HLA antibodies, it is clear that they may induce AMR; nevertheless, a difficult problem in their definition remains the fact that most of the non-HLA antigens still remain to be identified. Hereby is a short literature review of several recent publications discussing the role of HLA- and non-HLA-specific antibodies in organ transplant rejection and survival.