Outcome of renal transplantation in South Asian recipients is similar to that in non-Asians.
BACKGROUND
The United Kingdom has a large South Asian population, in which there is a high rate of renal disease and which forms a significant percentage of the renal transplant waiting list. Information about short- and long-term transplant outcomes in this ethnic group is limited, although it has been suggested that graft survival is poorer in this population compared with non-Asians.


METHODS
The authors examined the outcome and determinants of medium-term (5-year) survival in 245 renal transplants, 53 of which were performed in South Asian patients between 1995 and 2002.


RESULTS
Three-year survival with a functioning graft was 89% for the non-Asians and 85% for the South Asians. At 5 years, this deviated to 83% and 70%, respectively, for the two groups, but this did not reach statistical significance. Acute rejection rates were similar in the two groups. South Asian ethnicity was not a significant predictor of medium-term graft loss in the authors' study.


CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort of patients, South Asian ethnic background did not confer a survival disadvantage after renal transplantation.
Loucaidou
Marina
M
Renal and Transplant Unit, St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London, United Kingdom. mloucaidou@doctors.net.uk
Prasad
Shilpanjali
S
Van Tromp
Jen
J
Cairns
Tom D H
TD
Griffith
Megan
M
Hakim
Nadey
N
McLean
Adam G
AG
Palmer
Andrew
A
Papalois
Vassilios
V
Taube
David
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome