When the body doesn’t forget – a holistic view of HLA sensitization in kidney transplants

When the body doesn’t forget – a holistic view of HLA sensitization in kidney transplants

Modern medicine has made it possible: a new kidney can give many people with kidney failure a new lease of life. But sometimes the body reacts to this help with mistrust. One of the biggest challenges here is so-called HLA sensitization. But what is behind it – and how can a holistic view help to deal with it better?

What does HLA sensitization actually mean?

Our immune system is programmed to recognize everything that is “foreign” – viruses, bacteria, but also tissue from other people. It uses so-called HLA molecules (human leukocyte antigens) for this purpose. These are located on the cells and act like a name tag: “I belong to this body.”

If, for example, you have already had a blood transfusion, a previous transplant or even a pregnancy, the immune system can become familiar with “foreign” HLA molecules and form antibodies against them. This is called sensitization.

This is a problem in the case of a planned kidney transplant: the more antibodies against foreign HLA molecules are present, the more difficult it is to find a suitable donor kidney – and the higher the risk that the body will reject it again.

A person is more than just an organ

When it comes to HLA sensitization, conventional medicine focuses on laboratory values, drugs and technical solutions such as plasmapheresis to remove antibodies. These approaches are important – but they don’t tell the whole story.

Holistic medicine looks further: it sees the human being as a unity of body, mind and soul. This is because our immune system is not just a biological defense system – it is also a sensitive sensorium that reacts to stress, emotional injuries and past experiences. some therapists suspect that prolonged psychological stress, unresolved emotional conflicts or chronic exhaustion can unbalance the immune system and thus promote sensitization.

What can toxopheresis contribute?

In Toxopheresis®, blood is drawn from the body on one side, and disease-causing substances—such as harmful pathogens, chemical agents, or cells—are selectively filtered out. The purified blood or plasma, containing all beneficial components, is then returned to the body on the other side.

What can holistic support achieve?

Holistic approaches can help to bring the body into a state of inner balance – and this in turn can have a positive influence on the immune system.
The aim is to strengthen the person as a whole, better regulate the immune system and possibly make it easier to deal with an upcoming transplant.

A path, not just a measure

Holistic medicine understands HLA sensitization not only as a medical problem, but also as an expression of an inner imbalance. The path lies in seeing people in their uniqueness and treating them on a physical and emotional level – with patience, respect and openness.
Because sometimes it takes more than just a suitable kidney – it takes a space in which the body feels safe to accept something new.