Optimal use of older donors and recipients in kidney transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The aging donor and recipient population have led to new challenges in kidney transplantation. The purpose of this study was to review retrospectively our single center experience in deceased-donor kidney transplantation, with respect to donor and recipient age. METHODS: From October 1, 2001, through February 20, 2004, we performed 144 deceased-donor kidney transplantations, which included 37 procedures (26%) in recipients > or =60 years old and 107 procedures (74%) in recipients 19 to 59 years old. The deceased-donor pool included 57 expanded criteria donors (ECD) and 87 standard criteria donors (defined as not ECD). ECD kidneys were used by matching estimated renal functional mass to recipient size (body mass index, <25 kg/m(2)), which included the use of dual kidney transplantations (n = 9). ECD kidney recipients were further selected on the basis of age >40 years and low immunologic risk. Recipients received rabbit antithymocyte globulin or alemtuzumab induction in combination with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and steroids. RESULTS: The mean age differed between recipient groups (65 vs 46 years; P < .001). In recipients > or =60 years old, 23 recipients (62%) received kidney transplants from ECDs compared with 34 kidney transplants from ECDs (32%; P < .001) in recipients who were <60 years old. Patient survival was 89% in recipients who were > or =60 years old, compared with 95% in recipients who were <60 years old (P = .11), with a mean follow-up time of 27 months. Kidney graft survival rates were 84% in both recipient groups. Initial and subsequent graft function, rejection, infection, reoperation, length of stay, readmission, and resource use were similar among groups. CONCLUSION: By the matching of nephron mass with recipient size and avoiding the use of ECD kidneys in recipients with a high immunologic risk, short-term outcomes that are comparable with standard criteria donor kidneys in younger patients can be achieved with either older donors or recipients, regardless of age.

Kidney and pancreas transplantation at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

More than 1,100 transplants have been performed at WFUBMC, including 60 pediatric transplants and 40 pancreas transplants. The one-year living donor kidney graft survival rate exceeds 90% and the 2 year deceased donor kidney graft survival rate exceeds 80%. The current active waiting list includes more than 300 candidates. Despite more transplants being performed, we continue to under-serve our referral area, which has among the highest rates of hypertension, diabetes, and end stage renal disease in the country. The AOTP has experienced a period of rapid growth over the past 2 years based upon sharing of zero HLA antigen-mismatched kidneys, use of ECD kidneys, liberalization of donor and recipient selection criteria, and the continued development of the pancreas transplant and laparoscopic donor nephrectomy programs. The pancreas transplant program will continue to grow as the waiting list enlarges and matures, with a 200% increase in activity expected within the next few years. The LDKT program will expand as more emphasis is placed on our pretransplant practice, including the more liberal application of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, which has now become a standard procedure at our WFUBMC is involved in a number of clinical research projects studying new immunosuppressive agents and regimens. In this chapter, we have presented our recent experience with KTX in the elderly, ECD kidneys, alternate day Thymoglobulin administration, valganciclovir prophylaxis, SRL conversion using daclizumab bridge therapy, and pancreas transplantation with portal-enteric drainage. We plan to initiate a number of new protocols in the immediate future, including desensitization of the highly sensitized patient, ABO incompatible transplantation, transplantation of the HIV-positive patient, steroid withdrawal and avoidance regimens, living kidney donation from the anonymous altruistic donor, paired kidney exchanges from living donors, and islet transplantation. WFUBMC remains the most active donor hospital in North Carolina, and a non-heart beating donor protocol has been successfully initiated at our facility. Although much has been accomplished, a number of challenges remain. We look forward to building on our accomplishments, confronting the challenges, and achieving a level of excellence that could only be attained by mutual commitment from a dedicated, multidisciplinary team.