title: The interaction between the Lewis blood group system and HLA-matching in renal transplantation.
abstract: A retrospective study was initiated to investigate the influence of recipients' Lewis subtype and HLA-matching on cadaveric kidney graft outcome. A total of 1111 patients receiving a first cadaveric kidney graft were analyzed. No difference in one-year graft survival was found between Lewis-negative (73%, n = 133) and Lewis-positive (73%, n = 978) recipients. Further subdivision of the study group into HLA-A,-B well-matched (0 or 1 mismatches [MM]) and poorly matched (2, 3, or 4 MM) revealed a strong deleterious effect of HLA-A,-B mismatching in the Lewis-negative group only. One year graft survival in Lewis-negative HLA-A,-B poorly matched (2, 3, or 4 A,B MM) patients was 60% (n = 67) versus 86% (n = 66) in the Lewis-negative HLA-A,-B well-matched (0 or 1 A,B MM) group (P = 0.004). For the Lewis-positive group the one-year graft survival rates were 72% (2, 3, or 4 A,B MM; n = 498) and 74% (0 or 1 A,B MM; n = 480), respectively (P = n.s.). The additional beneficial effect of HLA-DR matching again turned out to be strongest in the Lewis-negative group. In Lewis-negative, HLA-DR (0 MM) and -A,-B well-matched recipients (n = 36) graft survival was 94% versus only 64% in the Lewis-negative, DR matched, A,-B mismatched (2, 3, or 4 A,B MM) group (n = 25; P = 0.09). In the Lewis-positive, HLA-DR 0 mismatched group the one-year survival rates were 78% (0 or 1 A,B MM; n = 240) and 73% (2, 3, or 4 A,B MM; n = 253), respectively (P = 0.05). Our data suggest that donor recipient selection should not be based on Lewis matching per se. However, since Lewis-negative patients are at high risk of graft failure when receiving HLA mismatched kidneys, they should preferentially receive optimally HLA matched grafts.
authors.affiliation: Eurotransplant Foundation, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gratama
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Hendriks
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Persijn
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Lange
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: van Nieuwkoop
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D006680:HLA Antigens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens