Table 1.
Method | CDC (LCT) | FCM | PRA (solid-phase assay) |
Target | Donor lymphocytes | Donor lymphocytes | Purified HLA antigens |
Antibody specificity | Donor-specific complement-binding antibodies | Donor-specific complement-binding/nonbinding antibodies | Known HLA antibodies Non-HLA antibodies |
Sensitivity | Low Detects only complement-binding antibodies | High Detects both complement-binding and nonbinding antibodies | High Detects both complement-binding and nonbinding antibodies |
Effects of medications | Influenced by cytotoxic antibodies (ATG, rituximab, and so on) | Influenced by antibody therapies (high-dose IVIG, ATG, rituximab) | Influenced by antibody therapies (high-dose IVIG, ATG, rituximab) |
ATG, Antithymocyte globulin; CDC, complement-dependent cytotoxicity; FCM, flow cytometry crossmatching; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; LCT, lymphocyte cytotoxicity test; PRA, panel-reactive antibody.