INFLUENCE OF HLA MATCHING AND BLOOD TRANSFUSION ON RENAL ALLOGRAFT SURVIVAL

Abstract

Cadaver kidney transplants [107] were followed for up to 6 yr. The beneficial effect of HLA matching was confirmed. The 2-yr failure rate from rejection was 29% for grafts with less than 2 incompatibilities, in comparison with a figure of 52% where there were 2 or more incompatibilities. The presence of HLA antibodies did not have an adverse effect on the survival of 1st grafts. Patients not transfused prior to transplantation had a much higher 1-yr graft failure rate (72%) than those given either frozen-thawed red cells (29%) or whole blood (23%). This apparently beneficial effect of blood transfusion was no greater in patients transfused with more than 5 units compared with those given less than 5 units. Blood transfusion has an important influence on the outcome of renal transplantation.