ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Donor and recipient genders are not considered in lung transplantation (LT) programs. However, recent data have suggested a possible biologic effect of gender combination on the outcome of LT. We ought to evaluate the effect of gender combinations on early survival in a single-institution experience in transplant recipients. METHODS: We analyzed the potential effect of donor-recipient gender combinations (male [M] or female [F]) on early survival of all patients whose LTs were performed between January 1999 and December 2006. Patients were distributed into 4 groups: M donor to M recipient (M-M group); M donor to F recipient (M-F group); F donor to F recipient (F-F group); and F donor to M recipient (F-M group). The comparison between groups was performed using two-tailed Fisher exact test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: During the study period, 152 LTs were performed in 149 patients, including 99 male donors and 53 female donors. The mean age of the recipients was 54 +/- 10 years (range, 14-70). The 30-day survival rate was 86% (95% confidence interval [CI], 77%- 92%) for the M-M group, 67% (95% CI, 41%-87%) for the F-M group, 89% (95% CI, 52%-100%) for the M-F group, and 83% (95% CI, 66%-93%) for the F-F group. No differences were observed between group survivals according to the Fisher test (P = .27). CONCLUSIONS: We found no association between donor-recipient gender mismatch and improved survival in lung transplant recipients. Further investigation is needed to finally understand the possible role of gender combinations in LT.
