[Living-donor kidney transplantation in the cyclosporine era].
BACKGROUND
Renal transplantation is the best possibile form of treatment for chronic renal failure. It offers the patient a longer life expectancy when compared to dialysis. Aim of the study was to evaluate our results with live donor transplantation and the variables that influenced the long-term patient and graft survival.


METHODS
190 patients received a live donor kidney transplantation in our Hospital between 1984 and 2000. Thirty-eight of them received a graft from an HLA identical donor, 130 from an HLA haploidentical donor, 22 from a living unrelated donor (spouse). Fourteen patients underwent a pre-emptive transplantation. Aim of the study was to evaluate which variables could influence the long-term patient and graft survival.


RESULTS
The median follow-up of recipients was 69.5 months. The 10-year patient and graft survival were 94.7% and 73.4% respectively. Graft half-life was 29.6 years. Six patients died. Twelve patients lost their graft because of vascular thrombosis and five patients because of rejection within the first six months. After the first year, 11 patients lost their graft because of chronic rejection and 4 after recurrence of the original disease. One hundred and forty-four patients are still under observation, and at the last examination their mean plasma creatinine was 2.0+/-1.1 mg/dl. At univariate statistical analysis the absence of locus DR incompatibility was associated with a trend toward a better long-term survival of both patient and graft (P=0.05), while less than one year of dialysis showed a significantly better survival rate (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Living-donor transplantation offers an excellent long-term patient and graft survival.
Campise
M
M
Dipartimento di Nefrourologia e Trapianto Renale, Italy. campise@policlinico.mi.it
Tarantino
A
A
Berardinelli
L
L
Finazzi
S
S
Montagnino
G
G
Rossini
G
G
Scalamogna
M
M
Cesana
B
B
Ponticelli
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000601:surgery; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006648:Histocompatibility; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000601:surgery; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D015993:Life Tables; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012008:Recurrence; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000453:epidemiology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003404:Creatinine