Is There a Role for Desensitization in Intestinal Transplantation?. (September 2019) - Santeusanio, Andrew D.
Human leukocyte antigen allosensitization prior to transplant can increase the risk of early graft loss and prolong waitlist times for intestinal transplant candidates. Desensitization offers a potential therapeutic option to reduce the quantity of preformed antibodies prior to organ allocation and facilitate transplantation with a more immunologically compatible donor allograft. However, there remains a paucity of data to guide the use of desensitization in the setting of intestinal transplantation. As a result, in this review we evaluate the existing literature supporting the role of desensitization therapy in intestinal transplant, describe our own experience with the implementation of a risk-stratified desensitization protocol, and finally explore barriers and unanswered questions that continue to limit the widespread adoption of desensitization as a management strategy for highly sensitized intestinal transplant candidates.