ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The kidney transplantation rate in elderly patients is increasing rapidly. However, the clinical outcomes of kidney transplantation in elderly patients have not yet been thoroughly evaluated. METHODS: This multicenter cohort study included adult kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) admitted to five major tertiary hospitals in Korea between 1997 and 2012. A total of 3,565 adult participants were enrolled. Patient survival, allograft survival, and biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) of 242 elderly recipients (≥ 60 years) were assessed and compared with those of a younger population. RESULTS: Patients were divided into five groups according to age at time of transplantation. The proportion of elderly patients was 6.7 % (mean age, 63.1 ± 2.7 years; n = 242). The numbers of male patients (69.4%), those with diabetes mellitus history (36.3%), and those with pretransplantation ischemic heart disease history (17.7%) were significantly higher in the elderly group than in the younger age groups. Elderly patients were more likely to receive a cadaveric kidney, and overall mortality rates were significantly higher in the elderly patients (1-year survival 93.3%, 5-year survival 91.3%). However, death-censored allograft survival rate and BPAR were not affected by patient age (P = .104 and .501, respectively). Among the elderly, BPAR and female donors were independent risk factors for allograft loss. CONCLUSION: The overall survival rate of the elderly KTRs was significantly lower than that of younger KTRs. However, the death-censored allograft survival rate did not differ between groups. Kidney transplantation should not be stagnated especially in elderly patients with end-stage renal disease.
