Antibody-Mediated Rejection and Sponge Effect in a Redo Lung Transplant Recipient

Long-term survival after lung transplant remains severely limited by chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Antibody-mediated rejection of lung transplant allografts is usually caused by donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) directed toward donor human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Typically, patients with ant...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ashwini Arjuna, Michael T. Olson, Sofya Tokman, Rajat Walia, Thalachallour Mohanakumar, A. Samad Hashimi, Michael A. Smith, Ross M. Bremner, Ashraf Omar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Transplantation
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6637154
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Summary:Long-term survival after lung transplant remains severely limited by chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Antibody-mediated rejection of lung transplant allografts is usually caused by donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) directed toward donor human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Typically, patients with antibody-mediated rejection have significantly higher circulating DSAs and increased mean fluorescence intensity than those without antibody-mediated rejection. However, some patients with antibody-mediated rejection have low mean fluorescence intensities, partly due to the “sponge effect” related to DSAs binding to HLA molecules within the lung. Herein, we report the case of an 18-year-old, female lung transplant recipient who required retransplantation and developed circulating DSAs directed toward the first allograft but detected in circulation only after retransplantation. The present case draws attention to a rare finding of sponge effect in a patient with antibody-mediated rejection leading to allograft failure.
ISSN:2090-6943
2090-6951