Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Solid Organ Transplant

Within a little more than a decade, the transplant of human organs for end-stage organ disease became a reality. The early barriers to successful long-term graft and patient survival were related to the inability to effectively control the immune system such that it would not attack the donor tissue but would still recognize and destroy invading organisms and cells. As immunosuppressive therapy has been refined and proper matching of donors and recipients has been improved, hyperacute rejection has become a rare occurrence and acute rejection has been markedly controlled. However, antibody-mediated rejection remains an important impediment to increased survival of transplanted organs. This article provides readers with a broad overview of the immune system, discusses mechanisms of transplant rejection, and details prevention, detection, and treatment of antibody-mediated rejection in solid organ transplant.