Two techniques to make the lymphocytotoxic crossmatch more sensitive: prolonged incubation and the antiglobulin test

Two techniques capable of increasing the sensitivity of the lymphocytotoxic crossmatch test were compared for sensitivity and practically using the fluorochromasia modification of the cytotoxicity test. Prolonging the incubation period after addition of complement in the standard test resulted in further positive reactions. Modification of the test by addition of antiglobulin reagent increased the reactivity more than prolonged incubation of the standard test. The fluorochromasia adaptation of the antiglobulin test had sensitivity equivalent to the original antiglobulin method. The antiglobulin technique had a number of disadvantages, and neither the prolonged incubation nor the antiglobulin procedure meet the requirements of a busy histocompatibility testing service in view of the time consumed for the first and the complexity of the second.