Effect on Long-Term Mortality of HLA-DR Matching in Heart Transplantation

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching exerts a protective effect in organ transplantation, ensuring better graft function, fewer episodes of rejection, longer graft survival, and the possibility of lower immunosuppression.1, 2, 3 However, the precise influence of HLA incompatibility in heart transplants remains to be determined, and prospective HLA matching is seldom achieved. We previously demonstrated that the odds of in-hospital mortality after heart transplantation is greater in the case of HLA-DR mismatch.4 The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effect of DR mismatch on long-term mortality.