title: Prospective evaluation of pretransplant blood transfusions in cadaver kidney recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A beneficial effect of pretransplant transfusions on graft survival was demonstrated in the early 1970s. In the mid-1980s, however, retrospective studies showed that transfusions had lost their graft-protective effect in the cyclosporine era. During the last 10 years, deliberate transfusion pretreatment of transplant patients has been discontinued.
  
  
  METHODS
  Within a collaborative project of 14 transplant centers, prospective recipients of cadaver kidney grafts were randomized to receive either three pretransplant transfusions or transplants without transfusions. RESULTS; The graft survival rate was significantly higher in the 205 transfusion recipients than in the 218 patients who did not receive transfusions (at 1 year: 90+/-2% vs. 82+/-3%, P=0.020; at 5 years: 79+/-3% vs. 70+/-4%, P=0.025). Cox regression analysis showed that this effect was independent of age, gender, underlying disease, prophylaxis with antilymphocyte antibodies, and preformed lymphocytotoxins. CONCLUSIONS; Transfusion pretreatment improves the outcome of cadaver kidney transplants even with the use of modern immunosuppressive regimens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Transplantation Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opelz
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vanrenterghem
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kirste
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horsburgh
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lachance
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Largiader
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vujaklija-Stipanovic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Grande
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schott
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schnuelle
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Descoeudres
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ruder
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wujciak
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002102:Cadaver; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors