High resolution HLA matching associated with decreased mortality after unrelated bone marrow transplantation

As compared with related HLA-identical sibling donors, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) with phenotypically HLA ABDR-compatible unrelated donors is associated with increased mortality. This may be due to hidden HLA incompatibilities not detected by conventional typing. We have analyzed 44 unrelated patient-donor pairs who were matched for HLA-A, -B, and -DR by routine tissue typing. Our comprehensive HLA typing approach consisted of serology, cytotoxic T-cell precursor (CTLp) tests, T-cell cloning, oligotyping, and DNA sequencing. Using these techniques, we identified numerous HLA allele mismatches not detected by the previously applied routine typing. Twenty-four patient-donor pairs were highly matched and had a low CTLp frequency, whereas the remaining 20 pairs were allele-mismatched for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, -DQ antigens and/or had a positive result of the CTLp test. Patient and donor age, diagnosis, and treatment did not differ significantly between the matched and mismatched transplants. The probability for severe acute graft-versus-host disease grades III-IV was 21% in the matched and 47% in the mismatched patients (P = .0464). Transplant-related mortality was 21% and 57% (P = .0072) and actuarial patient survival rates at 3 years were 61% and 13% (P = .0005). We conclude that both HLA class I and class II allele mismatches between unrelated phenotypically ABDR-compatible patient-donor pairs are frequent and associated with increased incidence of posttransplant complications.