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

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

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
Further Information

Publication History

1998

Publication Date:
19 March 2008 (online)

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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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