The impact of induction therapy in low-immunological risk kidney transplant recipients regardless of HLA matching.

BACKGROUND: Induction agents have proved to reduce the rate of acute rejection (AR) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) without improving long-term graft and patient survival (PS). OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the utility of induction therapy in low immunological risk KTRs regardless of donor-to-recipient HLA matching. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 218 patients undergoing kidney transplantation (KT). These patients were divided into two groups according to the usage of induction therapy: 82 did not receive any induction therapy (Group I), and 136 patients received either Anti-IL2 receptor antibodies or anti-thymocyte globulin (Group II). All patients had panel reactive antibody (PRA) < 20% and absence of donor-specific antibodies (DSA). The difference in outcomes were assessed at different intervals following KT. RESULTS: The rate of bacterial infections at one year (p-value = 0.032) and the frequency of CMV disease (p-value = 0.044) were significantly higher in Group II (with induction therapy). The duration of hospital stay, the rate and severity of acute rejection, the occurrence of delayed graft function, the rate and type of surgical complications at one year, and the graft function and survival at one and three years were similar between the two groups (p-value = NS). In addition, the financial burden is much less in Group I (without induction therapy), reducing the total cost of the transplant procedure. CONCLUSION: We conclude that induction therapy in low-immunological risk kidney transplant patients is not a must regardless of donor-to-recipient HLA matching. Therefore, induction therapy did not yield significant health results, but had negative financial consequences.

Sex matching plays a role in outcome of kidney transplant.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of sex matching between donors and recipients was studied in 135 kidney transplant operations performed in our center between December 1998 and December 2007. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (63 patients, male donor-male recipient), group 2 (25 patients, male donor-female recipient), group 3 (37 patients, female donor-male recipient), and group 4 (10 patients, female donor-female recipient). Except for donor age, recipient body mass index and donor-recipient HLA AB-DR matching, recipient, and donor demographics, and the immunosuppression were comparable in all groups. RESULTS: Acute rejection and the need for antithymocyte globulin Fresenius rescue therapy were comparable between the 4 donor-recipient combinations. Excellent 1-year actuarial patient and graft survival, comparable hospital stay, and incidence of delayed graft and slow graft function were comparable between the 4 groups. One death occurred, each, in groups 1 and 2; posttransplant complications being comparable. While 1-year graft survival (death censored and uncensored) were comparable, 1-year graft function (serum creatinine) showed that the worst graft function was seen in group 3 (female-to-male). Significant differences between the 4 patient groups also were seen in pretransplant and posttransplant hemoglobin levels as well as in posttransplant arterial hypertension and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol blood levels. Other metabolic indices were generally comparable between the 4 patient groups. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that sex mismatching (group 2, male donor to female recipient) had the best 1-year graft function but the same 1-year patient and graft survival.