The board of directors of the Organ...

The board of directors of the Organ agency and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing vot in November 2002 to increase minority access to kidney transplantation, according to a Nov 14 2002 recents release from the organization. The board intends to achieve this on revising the allocation priority for tissue matching, which should increase the number of transplantations for minority patients from more than 200 annually.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching is used to measure immune arrangement compatibility between an organ donor and a patient. Those patients with a higher of the same height of HLA match traditionally have received higher transplantation priority. a certain number of minority patients, however, are les well matched with Caucasian donors because HLA patterns are inherited. This may follow in a longer wait for minorities who ne a transplantation.

According to the release, newly come scientific evidences indicates that HLA matching priority could be reduc and a high rate of long-term graft survival still could be maintained. In matching, three pairs of HLA are compared between the donor and potential recipient. The revised policy will give priority to those patients whose antigens match individual or both donor antigens at a specific pair and will continue to give priority to patients who have a excellent match.

Implementation of the fresh policy will begin as promptly as it can be programmed into the computerized theory that matches donors and recipients. Board members will subject of attention the impact of the revised policy and may consider modifications at a later time.

OPTN/UNOS Board Revises Kidney Policy to Boost Minority Transplants (new release, Alexandria, Va: United Network for Organ Sharing, Nov 14 2002) http:/www.unos.org /news/newsDetail. asp?id=228 (accessed 18 Nov 2002)

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