A highly sensitive, rapid screening method for the detection of antibodies directed against HLA class I and II antigens

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Abstract
Screening of potential transplant recipients for antibodies that can cause graft rejection is an essential part of the pre‐transplant monitoring carried out by tissue typing laboratories. This is a time‐consuming process and the rapid reporting of results is dependent on the maintenance of frozen cell panels. The usual procedure of screening against a panel of random cells takes up to 6 weeks. In this study we have used flow cytometric analysis of pooled chronic lymphatic leukaemia (CLL) cells to detect antibodies directed against HLA antigens. We show that FACS screening of pooled cells can accurately and rapidly detect these antibodies and that the method is suitable for routine use. An estimate of the degree of patient panel reactivity can be determined within a few hours. In addition, the technique is more sensitive than those conventionally used, an advantage that may be of importance in preventing graft damage.