American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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What does the Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) measure in transplant patients?

Strength of antibody against a specific donor
% of population to whom the patient has performed antibodies
Risk of cytokine release syndrome
Extent of organ vasculopathy

The correct answer is: % of population to whom the patient has performed antibodies

The Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) is a crucial test used in the context of organ transplantation to assess a patient's sensitization to potential donor organs. Specifically, the PRA measures the percentage of the general population that a recipient has antibodies against. A higher PRA percentage indicates a greater level of sensitization, meaning the patient has pre-formed antibodies against a larger number of potential donor antigens. This sensitization can lead to increased risks of graft rejection, as the presence of these antibodies can react with the donor organ's mismatched antigens, causing the immune system to attack the transplanted tissue. In evaluating transplant candidates, understanding the PRA level helps determine how likely it is that a patient will experience a rejection event if transplanted with an organ from a given donor. A higher PRA may necessitate careful consideration during donor selection and may influence the management strategies employed to mitigate potential graft rejection.