2.2
#56
IVIG AND TRANSPLANT MONITORING.
Wendy W. Thomson, CHS , Lydia H. Blackwell, CHS , Dod Stewart CHS , Kathie P. Nemeth, CHT and Zhuo Tao CHS . New Orleans LA, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, 70121, Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics Laboratory .

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Past studies in HLA have concluded that patient survival outcome is increased when monitored using an assay with greater sensitivity and specificity than the conventional complement dependent assay. These assays include ELISA, Flow cytometry and Luminex technology. A growing debate is whether or not IVIG may effect certain methodologies used in HLA. This study was two-fold: 1) To show if IVIG has a negative effect in flow cytometry testing; and, 2) What would be the best method of monitoring patients that have been treated with IVIG.
A parallel study was performed using both flow cytometry and the conventional CDC method with and without AHG. A series of crossmatches using different dilutions of IVIG and positive control were run by both Flow and CDC methodologies. Also, a series of antibody screens were performed using the same dilutions and methodologies. These results were compared to a separate parallel study performed using AB sera instead of IVIG.
The results of this study show that, depending on the concentration of IVIG; there may be an effect on flow cytometric assays. The results also imply that the CDC method may be of more use than previously determined. At this moment, the combination of both technologies may be the best way of accurately depicting the status of the patient.