Validation of HLA and non HLA antibody Testing in Transplantation

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Validation of HLA and non HLA antibody testing in solid organ transplantation to improve early post transplant management

  • IRAS ID

    315885

  • Contact name

    Clare Collins

  • Contact email

    clare.collins@nhsbt.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    NHS Blood and Transplant

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 9 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Renal, heart and lung transplantation are life saving operations. All humans (apart from identical twins) differ from each other with regards to a unique set of well documented antigens (molecules) called Human Leucocyte Antigens (HLA). When transplants take place from one person to another, we try to match these antigens as far as possible. Patients may have also have a pre-formed immune response, they have been 'sensitised' to these antigens before.

    Routine laboratory testing allows us to identify any antibodies that patients may have made to the HLA antigens and avoid transplanting organs that contain these into transplant recipients. Crossmatching, a laboratory technique where donor cells and patient sera is mixed together allows us to confirm donor and recipient compatibility.

    It has become clear, more than incompatibility between HLA antigens cause transplant rejection and failure. Non HLA antigens are classified as novel antigens that require investigation to determine their role in transplant rejection. This study aims to validate a commercially available kit of non HLA antigens and an in-house developed testing kit, that have both been put together after case reports in the literature to determine how often the antibodies directed towards non HLA are present in renal, heart and lung populations and if a relationship between these antibodies and rejection can be defined. and how they relate temporally to graft damage (e.g. are they a cause or consequence of these processes?)

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    23/YH/0147

  • Date of REC Opinion

    20 Jul 2023

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion