Faculty Collaboration Database

Effect of donor-recipient HLA matching at HLA A, B, C, and DRB1 on outcomes after umbilical-cord blood transplantation for leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome: a retrospective analysis. Lancet Oncol 2011 Dec;12(13):1214-21

Date

10/11/2011

Pubmed ID

21982422

Pubmed Central ID

PMC3245836

DOI

10.1016/S1470-2045(11)70260-1

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-82555165881 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   168 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The importance of matching at the HLA C locus has not been well defined for unrelated umbilical-cord blood transplantation. The selection algorithm for umbilical-cord blood units generally considers intermediate resolution HLA typing at A and B and allele-level typing at DRB1. We aimed to establish the relative importance of additional matching at HLA C.

METHODS: We used Cox regression to assess retrospectively the effect of donor-recipient HLA matching on outcomes of single umbilical-cord blood transplantations for leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome. Our primary endpoint was transplant-related mortality. HLA typing was done with molecular techniques with a minimum of intermediate resolution for HLA A, B, and C, and at the allele-level for DRB1.

FINDINGS: The median age of our study population was 10 years (range <1-62) and 552 (69%) of 803 patients were aged 16 years or younger at transplantation. Compared with transplantations matched at HLA A, B, C, and DRB1 (n=69), transplant-related mortality risk was higher after transplantations matched at HLA A, B, and DRB1 and mismatched at HLA C (n=23; HR 3·97, 95% CI 1·27-12·40; p=0·018). Transplant-related mortality risk was also higher after transplantations with a single mismatch at HLA A, B, or DRB1 and mismatched at HLA C (n=234; 1·70, 1·06-2·74; p=0·029) compared with transplantations matched at HLA C with a single mismatch at HLA A, B, or DRB1 (n=127). Assessing the overall effect of HLA disparity on transplant-related mortality, risks were higher with units mismatched at two (n=259; 3·27, 1·42-7·54; p=0·006), three (n=253; 3·34, 1·45-7·71; p=0·005), or four (n=75; 3·51, 1·44-8·58; p=0·006) loci compared with matched units (n=69).

INTERPRETATION: Our data suggest that the present strategy for umbilical-cord blood unit selection should be reassessed; matching at HLA C for units that are matched at HLA A, B, or DRB1 or in the presence of a single locus mismatch at HLA A, B, or DRB1 should be included to minimise mortality risks.

FUNDING: National Cancer Institute, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, US Department of the Navy, Children's Leukemia Research Association, and INSERM.

Author List

Eapen M, Klein JP, Sanz GF, Spellman S, Ruggeri A, Anasetti C, Brown M, Champlin RE, Garcia-Lopez J, Hattersely G, Koegler G, Laughlin MJ, Michel G, Nabhan SK, Smith FO, Horowitz MM, Gluckman E, Rocha V, Eurocord-European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Netcord, Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research

Authors

Mary Eapen MBBS, DCh, MRCPI, MS Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Mary M. Horowitz MD, MS Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Algorithms
Child
Child, Preschool
Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
Europe
Female
HLA Antigens
HLA-A Antigens
HLA-B Antigens
HLA-C Antigens
HLA-DRB1 Chains
Histocompatibility
Histocompatibility Testing
Humans
Infant
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Leukemia
Male
Middle Aged
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
Patient Selection
Proportional Hazards Models
Retrospective Studies
Risk Assessment
Risk Factors
Treatment Outcome
United States
Young Adult