Since 1995 - Non Profit Healthcare Advice

Can High Antibody Levels Be Reduced?

08/25/2009

Question:

If a patient has high antibody levels, is there anything that they can do about this? Is it possible to reduce the level of antibodies?

Answer:

High pre-formed antibody levels are a complicating factor during lung transplantation. These are found in women with multiple births or in a patient that may have received multiple blood transfusions. Generally, careful donor organ matching before transplantation and the consideration of a number of different treatments around the time of transplant is the way most transplant centers treat this potential problem.

High pre-formed antibodies in heart transplant recipients are occasionally treated with medicines or treatments to reduce the antibody production prior to transplant.

No simple treatments, diet or lifestyle modification would be expected to change the antibody levels.

For more information:

Go to the Lung Transplantation health topic.