Optimal Donor Selection During Verification Process: Which Factors Are Worth Knowing?

The selection of optimal donor is crucial for successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Thereby, it is appropriate to know, in addition to basic human leukocyte antigen (HLA) gene matches, other immunogenic or nonimmunogenic parameters predicting the outcome of transplant.

A unified approach is necessary to provide a comprehensive view of the patient-donor compatibility characterization outside of standard HLA genes. The approach should be applicable as a tool for optimizing procedures for extended donor typing and/or verification typing of a donor.

The study used the summary, unification, and innovation of existing practical knowledge and experience of the Czech National Marrow Donor Registry of various factors beyond HLA matching with impact on transplant outcome.

An information technology system-implemented procedure (a verification algorithm) is presented as the decision support approach for prematurely discarding less suitable donors from the transplantation process. It is intended primarily for the transplant specialist to help establish optimal procedures for verifying and determining donor critical factors.

A process defining HLAs, killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors, and cytokine typing strategies was proposed to provide support to a transplant specialist in refining the choice of a suitable donor.