Prospective DR matching for first cadaver donor renal allografts and retransplantation

From January 1981 through 1983 80 cadaver donor renal allografts were transplanted at a single center utilizing prospective HLA-DR matching. All patients received at least two blood transfusions prior to transplantation. One year actual allograft survival of 77% for initial grafts and 57% for retransplantation was observed. When there was no DR mismatch the results were 84% and 80% respectively. Only 6% of no-DR-mismatch initial grafts were lost to rejection or patient death. These significantly better results were associated with decreased incidence of acute rejection episodes with transplants well matched for DR. Matching for A and B locus antigens conveyed no benefits in this series. Use of prospective DR matching for donor/recipient selection also resulted in efficient transplantation. Patients receiving initial grafts waited an average of 3.9 months while retransplanted patients waited an average of 13.5 months after being entered on the waiting list. The data suggest that if all transplant centers would preferentially share kidneys regionally on the basis of DR matching, nearly all patients could receive timely allografts with no DR mismatch and good results at one year with conventional immunosuppressive therapy.