Autoreactive lymphocytotoxic IgM antibodies in highly sensitized dialysis patients waiting for a kidney transplant: identification and clinical relevance.

The contribution of different families of lymphocytotoxic antibodies in the serologic reactivity of 45 highly sensitized dialysis patients (HSDP) (panel reactivity antibody value-PRA greater than 80%) was assessed by analyzing patients' sera for the presence of auto- and alloreactive IgM and alloreactive IgG antibodies. A total of 220 sera was screened at different incubation temperatures, before and after treatment with the reducing agent dithiothreitol, against a large variety of cell targets by means of complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antiglobulin augmented (AHG) CDC assays. The results allowed to subdivide the HSDP under study into four groups: Group 1 consisted of 13 untransplanted patients and 14 patients with a prior failed graft whose PRA values did not change following DTT treatment. Alloreactive IgG antibodies alone, with anti-HLA specificity, were present in the sera of this patient group. Group 2 consisted of 3 untransplanted patients whose sera did not contain any autolymphocytotoxic antibody but appeared completely unreactive to panel lymphocytes following DTT treatment, thus confirming the presence of alloreactive IgM only endowed with antiHLA reactivity. Group 3 consisted of 4 untransplanted and 4 patients with a prior failed graft whose sera were found to contain in addition to autoreactive IgM also alloreactive IgG antibodies. Their PRA values declined after DTT treatment on average from 96.2% to 45% and from 95% to 52.5%, respectively. Group 4 consisted of 6 untransplanted patients whose PRA reactivity to both autologous and panel lymphocytes completely disappeared following DTT treatment, thus indicating that their sera contained exclusively autolymphocytotoxic IgM antibodies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)