Description:
HLA matching plays of vital importance in transplantation because mismatches of HLA alleles possibly evoke both cellular and antibody-mediated rejection. As such, it would be ideally plausible if we can only transplant organs with zero HLA mismatch. However, with a shortage of organs, the use of mismatched organs became essential. The introduction of potent immunosuppressive agents for both induction and maintenance therapy helped controlling cellular rejection but not humoral mediated rejection (AMR), which is strongly correlated with donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA), resulting in a poor outcome. We have Dr. Zafar with vast experience in transplanting living related patients with the best HLA matching and Dr. Asker, who will present the impact of HLA in the diseased transplant program.
Outcome with HLA matching results in deceased renal transplant
Medhat Askar
Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Texas A&M College of Medicine
Director of Transplant Immunology, COVID-19 Testing and Hematopoietic Cell Processing Laboratories
Baylor University Medical Center
Dallas, USA
Medhat Askar, MD, PhD, MSHPE, FRCPath, is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Texas A&M College of Medicine, the Director of Transplant Immunology, COVID-19 Testing and Hematopoietic Cell Processing Laboratories at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA. Dr. Askar is the Immediate Past President of The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI), Past President of The American College for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ACHI), Past Division Head of the ASHI Accreditation Review Board and a member of the Executive Committee of the National Boards of Directors of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). He is also the Chair of the Education Committee of the Transplantation Society (TTS), the project leader of the HLA Haplotypes in Families by NGS and HLA Allele Catalogue projects under the 18th International HLA & Immunogenetics Workshop, a member of the Laboratory Practice Committee of the International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy and a principle Investigator on a number of study protocols through the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).
Outcome with HLA matching in living renal transplant
Mirza Naqi Zafar
Professor of Pathology
Head of Laboratories
Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation
Karachi, Pakistan
Dr. Mirza Naqi Zafar is Professor of Pathology and Head of Laboratories at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi Pakistan. He graduated from the University of London in 1975 and obtained his doctorate in 1979. He has extensive research experience in histocompatibility testing, transplant outcomes, and donor follow-up care. He has published over 100 papers on these subjects in international and national journals. He has also contributed to four chapters in books on transplantation. He is a member of a number of Societies and Pathology Associations. He is the General Secretary of the Transplantation Society of Pakistan and Councilor of the Asian Region for the International Society of Organ Donation and Procurement. He serves on the editorial boards of a number of national journals.
