Benefits of HLA-A and HLA-B Matching on Graft and Patient Outcome after Cadaveric-Donor Renal Transplantation

Data collected prospectively on 3811 renal transplantations performed between June 1977 and July 1982 by the 42 member institutions of the South-Eastern Organ Procurement Foundation were analyzed to determine the influence of donor-recipient HLA-A and HLA-B matching on patient and graft outcome. Well-matched recipients were more likely to have received kidneys from outside their own centers, were more highly presensitized, included fewer blacks, and were more likely to have lost an earlier graft. Multivariate Cox regression analysis that included these and six other potential confounding variables revealed a significant association (P