HLA compatibility and clinical outcome among cardiac transplant recipients

The importance of HLA compatibility between the donor and recipient in determining the clinical outcome of cardiac transplant recipients is not clear. This report examines the relationship between HLA compatibility and clinical outcome in 82 cardiac transplant recipients during the 1st post-operative year. Both the degree of HLA antigen mismatch and the compatibility of the pre-transplant crossmatch are considered as parameters of HLA compatibility. Clinical outcome is assessed by comparing rejection rates and 1-yr survival among different patient groups.