title: Selective advantage of HLA matching in successful uncomplicated oocyte donation pregnancies.
abstract: Oocyte donation (OD) enables women with various causes of reproductive failure to conceive, but is accompanied by a high risk of certain pregnancy disorders. Possibly, the allogeneic nature of the fetus in OD pregnancies plays a role in the development of these disorders. In this study, we investigated whether there is a selection for some degree of HLA matching in successful and uncomplicated OD pregnancies. Mothers and children from OD pregnancies that used unrelated donors (n=75) were typed for HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ and the observed number of HLA matches of the child was compared with the expected number of HLA matches. Moreover, we studied the possibility of a preferential selection for maternal KIR and fetal C combinations. We observed a significantly higher level of HLA matching between mother and child than expected by chance. In particular, the incidence of children with 5 or more HLA matches, which is the situation in autologous pregnancy, was higher than expected. A higher level of matching was shown, especially for HLA class I, while no significant differences were observed for the individual HLA loci. With respect to maternal KIR and fetal HLA-C no selection for a favorable combination was found. Larger observational studies including uncomplicated, preeclamptic, and aborted pregnancies are essential to determine to what extent HLA matching affects the outcome of OD pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.e.l.o.lashley@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Lisa E E L O
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Lashley
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geert W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Haasnoot
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spruyt-Gerritse
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Leiden University Medical Centre, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frans H J
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Claas
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018587:Oocyte Donation; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D061349:Unrelated Donors
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens
keywords: Human leukocyte antigen; KIR; Miscarriage; Mismatches; Oocyte donation; Preeclampsia