Suppression of Panel-Reactive Antibodies by Treatment with Mycophenolate Mofetil

C. Schmid; H. S. P. Garritsen; R. Kelsch; U. Cassens; H. A. Baba; W. Sibrowski; H. H. Scheld

doi:10.1055/s-2007-1010217

The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon, Table of Contents

Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1998; 46(3): 161-162
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-1010217

Case Report

Suppression of Panel-Reactive Antibodies by Treatment with Mycophenolate Mofetil

C. Schmid¹ , H. S. P. Garritsen² , R. Kelsch² , U. Cassens² , H. A. Baba³ , W. Sibrowski² , H. H. Scheld¹

¹Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
²Department of Transfusion Medicine and Transplantation Immunology, Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany
³Gerhardt-Domagk Institute of Pathology, Westphalian Wilhelms University, Münster, Germany

Abstract

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Abstract

”Panel Reactive Antibody” (PRA) testing is commonly used to assess the pretransplant antibody status in order to estimate the risk of an adverse humoral response following transplantation. We report on a female patient with end-stage cardiac failure suffering from acute myocarditis who underwent implantation of a left-ventricular assist device (Novacor^®, Baxter Healthcare Corp. Oakland, CA). During evaluation for heart transplantation, a PRA level of 50-70% was detected. After treatment with mycophenolate mofetil at a dosage of 2 g daily, PRA levels declined within one week to 0 - 5 %, and remained low after discontinuation of the immunosuppressive drug. We feel that pretreatment of patients with elevated PRA levels with mycophenolate mofetil is well justified.

Key words

Antibody - Mechanical assistance - Transplantation

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