Summary of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Consensus Conference on Emerging Understanding of Antibodies and Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Heart Transplantation

This recently published consensus statement, endorsed by multiple transplant societies including the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), aims to address the existing gaps in consensus regarding the role of circulating antibodies and their relationship to antibody-mediated rejection in heart transplantation. The conclusions summarize the cut-offs for risk stratification and management of pre-transplant detected antibodies, the importance of special donor considerations and physical prospective crossmatches, the role of desensitization protocols, perioperative management, post-transplant antibody monitoring, and immunosuppression strategies. The consensus seeks to establish a more standardized approach that bridges current knowledge gaps and facilitates more structured research going forward.