A Flow Cytometric Crossmatch Test Using Endothelial Precursor Cells Isolated from Peripheral Blood

Flow cytometric crossmatch tests provide a donor-specific, cell based method for the detection of alloreactive antibodies in the sera of transplant patients. Conventional crossmatch tests used in solid organ transplantation utilize lymphocytes as target cells to detect the presence of alloreactive HLA antibodies. Isolation of endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) from peripheral blood now allows testing for antibodies reactive with non-HLA endothelial cell antigens.