Retrospective antibody analysis of thirty patients with kidney graft failure.

Out of 30 patients who rejected their kidney grafts, HLA or MICA antibodies were found in 26 patients. Among the four patients in whom antibodies could not be found, two patients did not have any HLA mismatch with their mother donor, and 1 had died with a functioning graft. There was only one other patient who chronically rejected but did not have antibodies. The antibodies were shown to appear before rejection of the grafts, and before the increase in serum creatinine. In most instances, the de novo antibodies increased in strength with time. Donor specific antibodies were found in 12 patients, two had non-donor-specific antibodies. In the absence of other antibodies, six had DQ antibodies and six had MICA antibodies, and one had DP antibodies.