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The highly polymorphic Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) are fundamental in the field of immunology particularly in transplantation. HLA molecules are responsible in regulating the immune responses and play an important role in the acceptance or rejection of transplanted tissues and organs. HLA typing identifies specific HLA alleles present at various loci of the HLA gene, enabling assessment of immune compatibility between the donors and recipients in transplantation. This process minimizes the risk of graft rejection and graft versus host disease. Additionally, HLA typing is also used in understanding susceptibility or resistance to various autoimmune diseases, infections, certain cancers and drugs. Compatibility testing including HLA antibody testing and crossmatching predicts potential immune responses from pre-existing antibodies in a recipient that could react against the donorsâ?? cells, thus preventing acute rejection episodes especially in solid organ transplantation. The detection of such antibodies is crucial for transplant success and may influence the donor selection and the need for pre-transplant desensitization to avoid antibody-mediated rejection. Together, HLA typing, HLA antibody testing and crossmatching are essential for determining immunological compatibility between a donor and a recipient, minimizing transplant rejection and improving patient outcomes. With the evolution and advancement of the technologies, the accuracy, efficiency, and resolution of these tests are enhanced and the safety of transplantation will be further improved. |
