Isohemagglutinins of Graft Origin after ABO-Unmatched Liver Transplantation

Abstract

THE increasing success of liver transplantation in recent years has provided an experimental model to study and document the hepatic synthesis of many plasma proteins.^{1 2 3 4 5} The normal hepatobiliary tract has not been regarded as a major source of antibody,^{6 , 7} aside from the enteric IgA secreted from plasma into the biliary tree.⁸ Liver transplantation affords the opportunity to study the production of antibody to red cells. Recipient ABO incompatibility to the donor (a mismatched transplant, e.g., a group A liver transplanted into a group B recipient), although not absolutely contraindicated in liver transplantation, is avoided when possible. However, ABO-unmatched transplants (defined . . .