The role of tissue typing in corneal transplantation

The ABO relationships of 150 corneal transplant recipients and their donors were evaluated as were IgG and IgM isoagglutinins in recipients receiving grafts from ABO-incompatible donors. The HL-A antigens of 43 corneal transplant recipients and their donors were determined as were the cross-matches of donor lymphocytes in selected cases. No relationships of significance between mismatched donors and recipients or presence of antibody in recipients against antigens of the donor for either ABO or HL-A systems were found. It was concluded that in this series histocompatibility mismatches could not be shown to be a factor in corneal transplant failure.