What does AMR mean in NEWS & MEDIA

Antibody Mediated Rejection (AMR) is an immune response caused when antibodies, a type of protein made by the body’s immune system, attack and damage the transplanted organ or tissue. This can occur after any kind of transplantation—organ, bone marrow or even stem cell transplants.

Patients who have received a transplant from a donor who is not related to them are most at risk for developing AMR. Additionally, those with a prior history of acute rejection may be more likely to experience AMR.

The patient’s body will produce antibodies that will mistakenly recognize the transplanted organ as foreign and attack it. In some cases, these antibodies can bind to proteins on the surface of cells within the transplanted organ which then triggers other components of their immune system to attack it as well.

Symptoms of AMR include but are not limited to fever, decreased urine output, shortness of breath, fatigue and abdominal pain/swelling. It can also cause elevated blood pressure as well as discoloration in parts or all of the organ being attacked.

Yes, there are several diagnostic procedures which help doctors diagnose AMR including antiglomerular basement membrane antibody testing (anti-GBM), endomyocardial biopsy (EMB), immunosuppressive drug monitoring and B-cell mediated assays performed on serum samples.

Treatment for AMR typically involves a combination of high doses of immunosuppressant drugs such as cyclosporine or tacrolimus in addition to plasmapheresis—a process where some plasma from your blood is removed and replaced with albumin or saline solution before it’s returned back into your bloodstream. Additional treatments may include IVIG which helps boost your antibody levels so they don’t continue attacking the new organ.

Depending on how severe the disease is and how quickly it progresses, treatment may last anywhere from weeks to months before symptoms improve or subside completely. Generally speaking though, most patients see results within 2-3 weeks if treatments are administered correctly.

While there isn't a foolproof way to guarantee prevention from future occurrences of this condition, certain measures can be taken such as avoiding alcohol/smoking usage post-transplantation and making sure medications used during transplant procedure are compatible with ones you later receive afterwards in order to minimize chances for further issues down the line.

As with any form of medical treatments/procedures; risks certainly do exist though they vary depending upon individual factors such as age & overall health status prior to procedure taking place along with monitoring afterwards throughout course of treatment duration should any complications arise which could affect overall success rate & outcomes overall.