Soluble HLA-G pre-transplant levels to identify the risk for development of infection in heart transplant recipients

Infection is still a leading cause of death during the first year after heart transplantation. We evaluated the pre-transplant levels of HLA (Human Leukocyte antigen) – G molecules as a means of identifying heart recipients at risk of serious infections. We prospectively analyzed 122 adult heart transplant (HT) recipients. Serum samples were collected before transplantation and analyzed for sHLA-G levels by ELISA assay. The clinical follow-up...