title: Living-related pediatric renal transplants: a single-center experience from a developing country.
abstract: We retrospectively analyzed the results of 75 living-related pediatric renal transplants performed at our center between January 1986 and December 1999. The major causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were glomerulonephritis (26%) and nephrolithiasis (16%), while the etiology was unknown in 50%. The mean age of the recipients was 12 yr (range 6-17 yr) and that of the donors was 39 yr (range 20-65 yr). The majority (73%) of donors were parents. Eighty five per cent of donors were one-haplotype matched and the rest identical. Immunosuppression was based on a triple drug regimen. Thirty per cent of recipients were rapid metabolizers of cyclosporin A (CsA) (area under the curve [AUC]: < 6,000 ng/mL/h), while 16% were slow metabolizers (AUC: > 8,000 ng/mL/h). Forty three (57%) children encountered 59 rejection episodes, the majority of which (59%) were recorded in the first month post-transplant. Seventy-four per cent of the rejection episodes were steroid sensitive and the rest, except two, were resolved by therapy with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) or orthoclone thymocyte 3 (OKT3). After a mean follow-up of 37 months, 17 (22%) grafts had chronic rejection and 76% of these recipients had previously experienced acute rejection episodes. The overall infection rate was high, necessitating two hospital admissions/patient/year. The majority (53%) of the infections were bacterial. Urinary tract infections (UTIs) were seen in 17 (23%) recipients. Twelve of these had ESRD as a result of stone disease and eight grafts were lost because of UTIs. Eight per cent of recipients developed tuberculosis (TB), and extra-pulmonary lesions were seen in 50%. Surgical complications were encountered in eight patients. Free medication to all recipients and parental support ensured a compliance rate of 93%. Baseline growth deficit was seen in children of the two groups studied (the 6-12 yr and 13-17 yr age-groups), with Z-scores of - 2.39 and - 2.12, respectively. No growth catch-up was observed at 12 and 24 months in either group. Post-donation complications were seen most commonly in donors > 50 yr of age and included: proteinuria (> 300 mg/24 h, four patients), hypertension (three patients), and diabetes (one patient). Twenty-four grafts were lost, 54% as a result of immunological and the rest as a result of non-immunological causes, and 17 recipients died during the follow-up period. Infections were the main cause of patient and graft loss. Overall 1- and 5-yr graft and patient survival rates were 88% and 65%, and 90% and 75%, respectively.
authors: Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Dow Medical College and Civil Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. info@siut.org
authors: S A H
authors: SA
authors: Rizvi
authors: S A A
authors: SA
authors: Naqvi
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Hussain
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Hashmi
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Akhtar
authors: M N
authors: MN
authors: Zafar
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Hussain
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Ahmed
authors: J I
authors: JI
authors: Kazi
authors: A S
authors: AS
authors: Hasan
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Khalid
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Aziz
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sultan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome