A predictive test for the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in the inhibition of alloantibodies.

Preformed recipient HLA-specific antibodies can cause hyperacute rejection of a transplanted kidney if they are directed against mismatched donor HLA antigens. To avoid hyperacute rejection it is essential that recipient antibodies be identified during patient workup for transplantation and HLA antigens to which a patient is sensitized then be avoided when selecting a kidney donor for them. Absence of donor-specific reactivity is then confirmed by a pretransplantation crossmatch test.