What does a high Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) percentage indicate about a patient?

A high Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) percentage indicates that the patient has developed a high level of sensitization to donor antigens. This means that the patient's immune system has produced antibodies against a significant number of potential donor antigens, which can occur due to previous transplants, blood transfusions, or pregnancies.

As a result, finding a suitable donor becomes more challenging for the patient because the presence of these antibodies increases the risk of rejection when transplanted with organs from donors that have antigens the patient is sensitive to. Therefore, a high PRA percentage correlates with a decrease in available compatible donor options, making it more difficult to find a suitable match for transplantation.