Patients benefit from the addition of KIR repertoire data to the donor selection procedure for unrelated haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) expressed on donor natural killer (NK) cells are important for induction of NK cell alloreactivity in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Current criteria in the selection procedure of an unrelated donor do not account for this potential NK alloresponse. In this study the KIR gene repertoire of 21 HSCT patients and all their potential, unrelated donors (N=64) has been identified by the sequence-specific priming (SSP) procedure. KIR genotype characteristics are correlated with HLA and clinical data. These data show that for 16 cases an HLA compatible alternative donor was available. Among those 16 were 8 donors with a favourable predicted NK alloreactivity directed against the leukaemic cells. In conclusion, it is feasible and clinically relevant to add the KIR repertoire to the unrelated donor selection procedure.
Schellekens
Jennifer
J
Department of Pathology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Rozemuller
Erik H
EH
Petersen
Eefke J
EJ
van den Tweel
Jan G
JG
Verdonck
Leo F
LF
Tilanus
Marcel G J
MG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054340:Receptors, KIR / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D006680:HLA Antigens; D054340:Receptors, KIR