Relationship between anti-ABO antibody production and hemolytic anemia after minor ABO-mismatched living-donor lobar lung transplantation.

With the shortage of lung donors, we have performed 28 living donor lobar lung transplantations (LDLLTs) since October 1998. Although lungs from ABO-identical donors were used if available, lungs were transplanted from donors showing minor ABO mismatches when suitable ABO-identical donors were not found. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anti-ABO antibody (Ab) production and the outcomes of lung transplantation with ABO-mismatched living donor lungs. We reviewed 28 patients (28 recipients with 55 donors) who underwent LDLLT between October 1998 and March 2004. In this patient population, 13 patients (46.4%) received minor ABO-mismatched transplants. Anti-A or B-IgG or IgM antibodies (Abs) in the serum and red cell elutes were examined. All 28 patients are alive and well at a mean observation period of 28.0 months (ranging from 5 to 70 months). Anti-A or B-IgG or IgM Abs were detected in 5 out of 13 minor ABO-mismatched patients (38.5%) after transplantation, but only one of them showed evidence of severe hemolytic anemia due to donor-derived antibodies. The titer of that patient's Abs was higher than that of the other recipients. Anti-ABO antibody production and anemia were not associated with gender, age, relationship between donors and recipients, and HLA matching. We conclude that LDLLT across ABO mismatches is an acceptable treatment for end-stage lung disease.