Patients
Why is ImmuKnow testing important?
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Your transplant doctors and nurses are
trying to maintain balanced care for you. ImmuKnow helps by
providing information related to this balance, which helps
your overall treatment plan.
A combination of approaches including monitoring
tests, biopsies, lab tests and therapeutic drug levels is used.
However, these techniques reflect changes
that have already occurred in your body. Unfortunately,
patients can still have rejection and/or infection. When used
properly, ImmuKnow testing over time provides an early look
into how the immune system is functioning. As
a result, your transplant doctors and nurses receive information
they can act on to more effectively manage and individualize
your immunosuppressive therapy. This allows them to better
manage your risk of rejection and infection. |
What is the ImmuKnow test?
ImmuKnow is an important blood test
manufactured by Cylex™ that evaluates your immune system and gives
very important information to your transplant doctors
and nurses. ImmuKnow provides a measurement of how
well certain immune cells in your body are working. This
is directly related to the health of your immune system,
and therefore your overall health.
ImmuKnow is a unique blood test.
ImmuKnow is different for 2 reasons
– the information it gives your doctors and nurses as well as the
room temperature whole blood it uses. This means that your
blood sample must be sent to and performed in a
specific lab within a certain time; otherwise, your test
results will be affected. This is why you must go to a
designated testing location.
How often should ImmuKnow testing
be performed?
ImmuKnow can provide valuable information
after routine adjustments to your drug therapy:
* Additional assays may be required in
the event of changes in clinical status or posttransplant complications
† Based on therapeutic drug monitoring recommendations
described in immunosuppressant agent prescribing information |
Successful posttransplant management
involves immune function monitoring.
After your transplant, your transplant doctors
and nurses
will watch your health carefully – especially during the
first 100 days when you are at the highest risk for
complications. Fortunately, you and your doctors
can take steps to better manage exposure to some of these
problems by closely monitoring your immune function. Knowing how your immune system responds is not a
simple process since your body behaves in a highly
complex fashion after transplant.
Cylex is pleased to provide ImmuKnow as a critical
means
of getting early information about your immune status. |
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A
liver transplant recipient speaks about her experience of having
ImmuKnow integrated into her posttransplant management care. Combined
with her clinical factors and other routine monitoring tests, ImmuKnow
assay results help guide decisions in therapy to avoid over- and
under-immunosuppression.
Intended Use Statement
The Cylex Immune Cell Function Assay measures the concentration of ATP from circulating CD4 cells following in vitro stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) as an indicator of immune cell function. This measurement is made on heparin anti-coagulated whole blood using a luminometer and luciferin/luciferase. The assay is used for the detection of cell-mediated immune response in populations undergoing immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplant.
Patient Information Sheet for ImmuKnow Testing
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