Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility between donors and recipients plays a critical role in graft survival in renal transplantation. This study evaluates the impact of HLA mismatching on graft survival and rejection among renal transplant patients with related and unrelated donors, considering factors such as age, sex, ABO blood type, and anti-HLA antibodies. We investigated graft survival rates between related and unrelated donors in a prospective cohort study conducted from 2018 to 2020 at Cho Ray Hospital and People's Hospital 115 in Vietnam, involving 126 related and 82 unrelated donor-recipient pairs. Over a 32-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in the rates of suspected graft rejection (p=0.75) or graft loss (p=0.095) between the two groups. However, related donors exhibited significantly higher overall survival (p=0.0086) and better event-free survival (p=0.0025) compared to unrelated donors. HLA matching and ABO type did not show any association with suspected graft rejection in either group. Notably, unrelated donors older than five years increased the risk of suspected graft rejection (HR=4.22), and positive anti-HLA antibodies also increased this risk (HR=4.5). Conversely, male-male donor-recipient pairs significantly reduced the risk of graft rejection by 88% compared to female-female pairs. The study concludes that while HLA matching is not difference for related and unrelated donor groups, factors such as donor age, same-sex pairs, and the presence of anti-HLA antibodies are significant risk factors for graft rejection in unrelated donors. Enhancing monitoring and developing strategies for unrelated donors are essential to improve graft survival outcomes in renal transplantation.
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