Do HLA-DQ eplet mismatches influence renal transplant outcomes?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do HLA-DQ eplet mismatches influence outcomes after renal transplantation?
IRAS ID
235536
Contact name
Vaughan Carter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 29 days
Research summary
One treatment option available for people who develop established renal failure is kidney transplantation. There is evidence that people who receive a kidney that is a good match for them have better outcomes. Currently the decision about whether a potential kidney donor and recipient are a good match is based on three groups of HLA (Human Leucocyte Antigens) – these are proteins that are found on most cells, and whilst there are thousands of different types, some people have the same type of proteins, and are considered a good match. The groups currently used are HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DR. However, there are other groups – but there is not enough research investigating them yet to determine if they are also important. We know that the immune systems of people who have received a kidney transplant can sometimes react against the HLA-DQ group of proteins. We propose to investigate whether the outcomes of kidney transplantation, which include how well the transplant functions, how long it lasts, and whether the immune system of the recipient rejects the transplant, are associated with differences in HLA-DQ between the donor and the recipient. If we find that there is an association, we could make changes to the matching decision prior to a transplant being performed, and this may improve outcomes.
The study will involve retrospective analysis of data contained in a database of genetic information about HLA groups that has been compiled in Newcastle upon Tyne and includes every kidney transplant performed in Newcastle. Information about the outcomes of the kidney transplant will be obtained from the health care records of the transplant recipients involved. The genetic data will be interpreted using a freely available web-based analysis tool. The research is being undertaken as part of a Masters in Genomic Medicine degree at Newcastle University.REC name
East of England - Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EE/0476
Date of REC Opinion
29 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion