Flow cytometry cross-match before kidney transplantation and relation to early posttransplant rejection

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare flow cytometry cross-match (FCXM) results in patients before first or second kidney transplantation with the incidence of rejection episodes and kidney graft survival after transplantation. Sera of 71 patients obtained immediately before first transplantation and five sera obtained before second transplantation were tested on spleen cells of respective kidney donors.

All sera obtained before first or second transplantation were negative in the complement dependent cytotoxicity cross-match. In the group before the first transplantation 6% of patients were FCXM positive.

All FCXM positive patients in this group had been sensitized before - having panel reactive antibodies (PRA) higher than 50%. In the group before the second transplantation four out of five patients (80%) were FCXM positive and three patients (60%) were sensitized.

We found no correlation between a positive FCXM result before first transplantation and the occurrence of immunological complications after transplantation, while our results support data of the usefulness of performing FCXM before second kidney transplantation.