The clinical relevance of alloantibody in liver transplantation

Abstract

The transplanted liver appears resistant to antibody-mediated injury compared to other transplanted organs such as kidney or heart. However, a growing number of reports suggest that alloantibody to the liver is associated with poorer outcomes. The data surrounding this field are unclear, and their interpretation remains controversial. Mechanistically, there is not a clear explanation for the liver's resistance to antibody-mediated injury, and the pathological criteria for antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) remain ill-defined. Furthermore, treatment of AMR is non-uniform. The field would benefit from better outcome data based on measurement of antibody at the time of transplantation and at the time of rejection. Consensus opinion regarding antibody and the liver might emerge with better standardization of antibody measurement and pathological definition of AMR.