HLA-DR, DQ, AND OR DP GENOTYPIC MISMATCHES BETWEEN RECIPIENT-DONOR PAIRS IN UNRELATED BONE-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION AND TRANSPLANT CLINICAL OUTCOME

Sixteen recipient-donor pairs who underwent unrelated BMT were analyzed for their HLA-class II identity by DNA-RFLP, in order to evaluate the importance of the genotypic HLA-DR, DQ, DP identity in the clinical outcome of unrelated bone marrow transplantation. From our study, a clear correlation between the HLA-DR, DQ, and DP genetic identity and acute GVHD (aGVHD) is not obvious since the number of studied cases is still limited. Nevertheless, it seems that the genetic identity influences the clinical outcome and patient survival. Six patients out of the ten who experienced severe aGVHD (>grade II) differed from their respective donors by HLA-DP mismatch in the GVH direction. Two patients rejected their grafts, and both presented HLA-DP incompatibilities in both GVH and HVG directions. Hence, HLA-DP may function as a transplantation antigen like the other HLA-class II molecules (DR, DQ) in unrelated BMT. Accordingly, we propose considering it in the pretransplantation histocompatibility testing. Nevertheless, further studies with larger numbers of cases should be done in order to confirm the role of HLA-DP. No correlation was observed between the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) reactivity and the incidence of aGVHD. Accordingly, MLR response seems to be an incomplete indicator of GVHD, and a functional test is still to be found.