Impact of antibodies against human leukocyte antigens on long-term outcome in pediatric heart transplant patients: an analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2010 Sep;140(3):694-9, 699.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2010.04.009. Epub 2010 May 27.

Abstract

Objectives: Controversy exists regarding the importance of circulating antibodies as determined by panel-reactive antibody screening as a risk factor for graft failure in pediatric patients undergoing heart transplantation. This study sought to determine the association of elevated anti-human leukocyte antibodies with long-term survival in pediatric heart transplant patients.

Methods: The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried for pediatric patients (aged < 18 years at listing) with panel-reactive antibody levels obtained before heart transplantation from 1987 through 2004. Survival analysis methods were used to assess the association of elevated panel-reactive antibodies with long-term graft and patient survival.

Results: Panel-reactive antibodies were obtained before transplantation from 3534 patients, median age 4 years (interquartile range 0-12 years). Most, 2711 (77%), had no detectable panel-reactive antibodies, 436 (12%) had panel-reactive antibodies of 1% to 10%, and 387 (11%) had panel-reactive antibodies greater than 10%. Patients with panel-reactive antibodies greater than 10% were more likely to be older (P = .04), have congenital heart disease (P < .001), and have a longer wait list time (P = .006). Patients with panel-reactive antibodies greater than 10% had significantly worse graft survival and patient survival than did patients with undetectable panel-reactive antibodies and panel-reactive antibodies of 1% to 10% (P < .05 for all). Controlling for confounding variables, elevated panel-reactive antibodies as a continuous variable and panel-reactive antibodies greater than 10% as a categorical variable were independently associated with decreased graft survival (P = .04 and P = .02, respectively).

Conclusions: Elevated panel-reactive antibodies are independently associated with worse long-term graft survival in pediatric patients undergoing heart transplantation. Further study is needed to determine the optimal management of this high-risk population.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies / blood*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / immunology*
  • Graft Rejection / mortality
  • Graft Survival*
  • HLA Antigens / immunology*
  • Heart Transplantation / immunology*
  • Heart Transplantation / mortality
  • Histocompatibility Testing*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Registries
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement* / statistics & numerical data
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • HLA Antigens