Effect of Matching of Class I HLA Alleles on Clinical Outcome after Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells from an Unrelated Donor

Patients with malignant hematologic diseases, various forms of marrow failure, and certain congenital disorders can be successfully treated with transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from HLA-identical siblings. 1 – 7 However, only 30 percent of patients for whom such treatment is the first choice have an HLA-matched donor within their immediate families. In studies in the United States of transplantation of marrow from unrelated donors, a single mismatch for HLA-A or B (class I HLA antigens) or HLA-DR (a class II HLA antigen), determined by serologic typing, increased the risk of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and decreased overall survival. 8 – 10 Thus, in . . .