Donor-specific antibodies and kidney transplant rejection

The role played by non-complement binding antibodies after kidney transplantation is still not satisfactorily elucidated. A growing number of publications suggest that the detection of antibodies to donor HLA antigens by more sensitive methods than the standard complement-dependent cytotoxicity test is often associated with acute and chronic immunological complications and generally worse graft prognosis. In this review, we briefly discuss several recent reports on the clinical significance of non-cytotoxic anti-HLA antibodies, which might have important implications for patient immunosuppression and management after organ transplantation.