Pretransplant panel reactive-antibody screens. Are they truly a marker for poor outcome after cardiac transplantation?

Abstract

Cardiac transplant patients with pretransplant T- and/or B-lymphocyte PRA > or = 11% despite negative donor-specific crossmatch at the time of transplant appear to have earlier and more severe rejection with significantly lower survival after transplant surgery. Modification of immunosuppression in these high-risk patients may be warranted.