The value of a genetic expression of leucocyte typing in renal transplantation.

The HL-A haplotypes of donor and recipients were identified by leucocyte typing in fifty-two cases of renal transplantation with related donors. When only the presence or absence of antigenic differences between donor and recipient was considered (conventional typing) no significant correlation was found with the percentage of surviving transplants at 1 year, nor with the creatinine clearance of the grafted kidney 1 year after transplantation. On the contrary when the HL-A genetic situation was considered (haplotyping) and when donor–recipient pairs with both HL-A haplotypes in common were compared with the other pairs, a positive and significant correlation was found, using the same clinical criteria ( < 0·05). When donor and recipient have only one HL-A haplotype (semi-identical donor), the clinical course is not statistically better in our series than when both haplotypes are different. Among donors offering the same haplotype situation with regards to the recipient semi-identical siblings are probably better than parents.