Pre-transplant evaluation of immunological risk in paediatric kidney transplant recipients.

Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for children with kidney failure. Clinicians focus on improving graft outcomes by ensuring an optimal immunological environment for recipients. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the immunological evaluation of a potential paediatric kidney transplant recipient. This review focuses on the role of Human Leucocyte Antigen (HLA) laboratory testing and its clinical applications in the pre-transplant immunological risk assessment for a transplant physician. It provides a basic insight on the current technologies, available tests and their interpretation along with limitations, focusing on HLA antigens and antibodies. It aims to provide a simplified stepwise evaluation of immunological risk factors and encourages regular dialogue with the immunology laboratory personnel.