CORRELATION OF HLA MATCHING WITH KIDNEY GRAFT SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH OR WITHOUT CYCLOSPORINE TREATMENT

Abstract

In a series of more than 8000 first cadaver transplants performed during a two-year period, 2198 recipients treated with cyclosporine had a higher graft survival rate (76±1% at 1 year) than 6392 recipients without cyclosporine (64±1%, PP<0.0001). Regardless of whether cyclosporine was used or not, grafts with 0 HLA-B,-DR incompatibilities had approximately 20% higher success rates at one year than grafts with 4 mismatches. A high (86±3%) graft survival rate was obtained in 161 cyclosporine-treated recipients with 0 HLA-B,-DR mismatches. Matching for the HLA-B and HLA-DR loci is shown to have an additive effect in cadaver kidney transplantation.