Role of Flow Cytometry to Define Unacceptable HLA Antigens in Lung Transplant Recipients with HLA-Specific Antibodies

Abstract

By carefully determining the specificity of HLA-specific antibodies, flow cytometry methodologies enable the prediction of negative crossmatch results with up to 100% accuracy, enabling the determination of appropriateness of donors. Using this virtual crossmatch strategy, crossmatching can be safely omitted prior to lung transplantation, thereby decreasing waiting list time and mortality rates for candidates with HLA-specific antibodies.