Donor-recipient incompatibility (D + R-) for HLA-001, but not for-DOz or-D03, is associated with an adverse effect on cadaver kidney graft survival. Until now, however, 001 recipients of D01-negative kidneys (D-R +) have not been differentiated from D01-identical donor-recipient pairs (D + R +)and splits of D01. DOs and 006, have not been studied in that respect. From our data ( 480 transplantations performed from January 1980 to December 1990), three donor-recipient DO combinations (D + R + , D -R + , D + R -) were formed for each of four DO specificities (DOz. DOJ. DOs. 006). As DR-DO linkage disequilibrium is well conserved in caucasoid individuals, DO specificities were inferred from the associated DR specificities. Graft survival rate (%) was significantly lower for the DOs D + R-and the D06 D -R + combinations when compared with the other corresponding DO combinations, whereas no significant difference was observed between the DOz and DOJ combinations. In conclusion, if D01 plays a prominent role in kidney graft survival, the effects of its splits appear dissociated: 005 could be a marker of high antigenicity and D06 a marker of high responsiveness.In previous retrospective [I 1] and prospective [12] studies from our centre, donor-recipient HLA-DR disparities characterized by the presence of the antigen in the donor but not in the recipient, or vice-versa, were shown to affect cadaver kidney graft survival differentially. Some of those disparities were beneficial (DR4, DRS and DR7 in the donor; DRS in the recipient) whereas others were detrimental (DR1 and DR2 in the donor: DR2, DRW6 and Offprint requests to: