title: Renal graft survival is not influenced by a positive flow B-cell crossmatch.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The influence of a positive B-cell crossmatch on graft outcome in renal transplantation is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed graft survival using Kaplan-Meier estimates for recipients of deceased donor kidneys who were either regraft transplant patients (n = 198) from 1990 to August 20, 2004, or primary transplant patients (n = 361) from December 15, 2000 to August 8, 2004, each of whom had a flow T- and B-cell IgG crossmatch performed before transplantation. The flow B-cell crossmatch (FBXM) was not used to decide whether or not to transplant. Graft survival was analyzed by whether the patient's FBXM was positive or negative. We also evaluated creatinine levels and graft survival of 131 transplant patients (June 1, 2004 to July 1, 2005) by their FBXM result and by their HLA class II flow-defined IgG PRA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One- and three-yr graft survival for the primary transplant patient group with a positive FBXM (98% and 84%) was not significantly different from the group with a negative FBXM (96% and 93%) (log-rank = 0.9). Similarly, graft survival at one, five, and 10 yr for the regraft transplant group whose FBXM was positive (91%, 76%, and 61%) was not significantly different from the group whose FBXM was negative (91%, 79%, and 77%) (log-rank = 0.4). Creatinine levels in the group of patients whose FBXM was positive (1.4 +/- 0.4 mg/dL; n = 76) were not significantly different from the group with a negative FBXM (1.4 +/- 0.4 mg/dL; n = 42). Even in the presence of class II PRA, a positive FBXM did not impact a patient's creatinine levels or graft outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neither short nor long-term graft survival of deceased donor kidneys is influenced by a positive flow B-cell IgG crossmatch, even when caused by HLA class II antibody.
authors.affiliation: Midwest Transplant Network, Westwood, KS 66205-1867, USA. cbryan@mwtn.org
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Bryan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakefield
authors.forename: Jeffrey C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: Charles F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Shield
authors.forename: Bradley A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Warady
authors.forename: Franz T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Winklhofer
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murillo
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002102:Cadaver; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D007074:Immunoglobulin G