Background: In this work we investigated whether serologically HLA class II compatible donor-recipient pairs showed differences in restriction fragment length patterns, and whether there is a correlation between the genomic differences observed and the incidence of rejection and acute graft versus host disease (GVHD).
Methods: High molecular weight DNA was extracted from thirty-three transplanted thalassemic patients and from their genotypically HLA identical donors. The DNA was digested with TaqI and PstI restriction enzymes, separated by horizontal electrophoresis and transferred onto nylon filters.
Results: Differences at the molecular level were observed in only one patient, who rejected the transplant respect to his donor when DNA was digested with the TaqI restriction enzyme and hybridized with DPB cDNA probe.
Conclusions: Although the molecular analysis revealed a difference between a patient who rejected the transplant and his donor, the RFLP typing confirmed the serological identity of the HLA class II antigens in all the other donor-recipient pairs studied.