title: The influence of donor age on kidney graft survival in the 1990s.
abstract: Based on analyses of the UNOS Registry data for cadaver kidney transplants performed between 1991-1999 we showed that: 1. 15-40 year old donor kidneys provided the best one-year graft survival rates. When donors were analyzed with recipients, younger (0-10) and older (70-90) donors and recipients (Table 2) had the lowest one-year graft success rates. 2. Chronic loss rate, the constant rate of graft loss between one and 5 years, showed younger donor kidneys had a significantly lower chronic loss rate compared with each older donor category. Apparently the younger donor kidneys have a resiliency and nephron reserve that provides better long-term function. However, they may have lower short-term (1-yr) graft survival rates, possibly due to their small size. 3. Black and White donor kidneys had similar one-year graft survival rates; however, in every age group, recipients of White donor kidneys had significantly better 5-year graft survival rates than Black donor kidneys. There was also a noticeably lower chronic loss rate among recipients of White than Black donor kidneys. 4. HLA-matched White donor kidneys had better one- and 5-year graft survival rates and lower chronic loss rates than HLA-mismatched kidneys. The matching effect was lost when the donor age increased beyond age 40. PRA had an effect both at one and 5 years after transplantation. The chronic loss rate was similar with high and low PRA. Therefore, PRA had a relatively short-term effect. 5. Cold ischemia time had a modest effect after 35 hours both at one and 5 years. However, the chronic loss rate was unaffected by CIT, suggesting prolonged ischemia time had a relatively short-term effect. 6. More focused attention on sensitization and lowered CIT can both have a significant effect on short-term graft survival rates. However, both matching and younger donor organs provide the best opportunity for better long-term graft success rates.
authors.affiliation: USC Metic Transplantation Lab, Los Angeles, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cicciarelli
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwaki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mendez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005006:Ethnicity; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American