Pancreas Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Pancreas Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Effect of HLA matching in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Malaise J, Berney T, Morel P, Toso C, Demuylder-Mischler S, Majno P, Bühler L, Mentha G, Van Ophem D, Squifflet JP,

EUROSPK Central Office, Brussels, Belgium. jacques.malaise@chir.ucl.ac.be

Simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplantation has become the therapy of choice for type 1 diabetic patients with end-stage renal disease. The current analysis examined the impact of HLA matching on graft outcome following SPK transplantation. The study population was obtained from patients enrolled in the Euro-SPK 001 study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The effect of HLA matching on graft function and survival was assessed in 180 SPK recipients in whom complete donor-recipient HLA data were available. A group of 45 patients with 0 to 3 HLA mismatches (MM) was compared to 135 patients with 4 to 6 MM. RESULTS: There were no differences in 3-year kidney, pancreas, or patient survival rates between the 0 to 3 and 4 to 6 MM groups. Biological parameters of kidney and pancreas graft function were similar in both groups. Significantly more patients with 0 to 3 MM (66%) were rejection free at 3 years than those with 4 to 6 MM (41%; P = .003). The relative risk of acute rejection was 2.6 times higher among patients with 4 to 6 MM than among those with 0 to 3 MM. In conclusion, there was no evidence that HLA matching was associated with improved kidney or pancreas survival. However, a higher rate of acute rejection was observed with poor HLA matches, which may impact long-term survival.

Published 26 September 2005 in Transplant Proc, 37(6): 2846-7.
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