Persistence of de novo donor-specific HLA-antibodies after lung transplantation: A potential marker of decreased patient survival

The impact of de novo donor‐specific anti‐HLA‐antibodies (donor‐specific antibody [DSA]) on outcomes in lung transplantation is still a matter of debate. We hypothesize that differentiating DSA by persistent and transient appearance may offer an additional risk assessment. The clinical relevance of HLA‐antibodies was investigated prospectively in 72 recipients with a median follow‐up period of 21 months. The presence of HLA‐antibodies was...