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An agreement on anatomic terminology is the foundation for a common language in medical science and for an effective exchange of information. A thorough review of the literature has shown need for revision and extension of the official terminologia anatomica with regard to the veins of the lower limb. The foundation of this consensus document was laid by the faculty at a precongress meeting of The Fourteenth World Congress of the International Union of Phlebology (IUP), held in Rome on September 8-9, 2001, under the auspices of the IUP, the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), and the Federative International Committee on Anatomical Terminology (FICAT). The official names of some veins have been changed according to the guidelines of the FICAT. In addition, previously unnamed veins have received names relevant to their anatomy and clinical significance. Some of the terminology recommendations are innovative, but were judged to be correct by members of the committee. (J Vasc Surg 2002;36:416-22.)

When 81 recipients of primary renal allografts were examined for the influence of donor HL-A incompatibilities (DIC) on the survival of allografts, an association was found between greater DIC and not only an increased loss of allografts in the 1st year, but also a decreased survival of transplants in the subsequent years. However, three allografts with no DIC were rejected, whereas nine others with three to four imcompatibilities have functioned well for 1-5 years. A surprisingly high proportion (52%) of 81 renal allograft recipients produced lymphocytotoxic antibodies which lack HL-A specificity but apparently detect a polymorphic antigenic system on normal human lymphocytes. Only three patients who rejected the allografts made detectable circulating antibodies specific to DIC. However, when patients received grafts with fewer DIC, there was a greater number of no antibody or low frequency antibody producers, whereas with a greater number of DIC there was an increased occurrence of high frequency antibody producers. These results suggest that HL-A as well as non-HL-A systems may play a significant role in the success of allotransplantation. Although the presence of non-HL-A antibodies was not always associated with allograft loss, further characterization of these antibodies may reveal a new genetic system(s).