Pretransplant Antibodies and Renal-Allograft Survival

Fc receptor blocking antibodies directed against autologous lymphocytes were present in pretransplant sera from only one of a group of 24 cadaver donor renal transplant recipients. Such antibodies were present in recipient sera against B lymphocytes from the donor in 11/24, against normal B lymphocytes in 12/24 and against leukaemic B lymphocytes in 15/24 cases. There was a significant correlation between EA inhibiting antibodies directed against donor (p less than 0.01), normal (p less than 0.05) and leukaemic B lymphocytes (p less than 0.001) and improved one year allograft survival. No autolymphocytotoxic antibodies were detected. Fc receptor blocking antibodies detected by the Erythrocyte Antibody Inhibition assay may thus have a beneficial effect on graft outcome but do not appear to be autoantibodies.