Powerful effect of HL-DR matching on survival of cadaveric renal allografts
Ting, A.; Morris, P.J.
Lancet 2(8189): 282-285
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 6105439 Document Number: 162467
Matching for HLA-DR antigens seems to be an effective method of improving the survival rate of cadaveric donor renal allografts; this was shown in the analysis of 190 cadaver transplants in 1 unit. Patients receiving kidneys well-matched for HLA-DR (no incompatibilities) had a significantly better survival rate (85% at 1 yr) than patients with 1 or 2 incompatibilities (64% and 56%, respectively, at 1 yr). This high survival rate of the DR matched grafts was not due to coincidental better matching of the HLA-A and B antigens. DR matching seems to improve graft survival even in patients who have never been transfused before transplantation, since those patients matched for DR did equally well whether they had been transfused or not. Matching for the limited number of DR antigens, mostly with a relatively high antigen frequency, should simplify the matching procedure for selection of donor-recipient pairs in cadaveric transplantation.