Kidney transplants in HIV-positive recipients under HAART. A comprehensive review and meta-analysis of 12 series.
BACKGROUND
Kidney transplantation is being introduced gradually for the treatment of end-stage renal disease in patients who are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive. Our aim was to review the outcomes of kidney transplantation in HIV-positive recipients who were being treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).


METHODS
Eligible papers were English language manuscripts, published between July 2003 and April 2009 and available through Medline, that described three or more recipients of kidney transplants who were HIV positive and undergoing HAART. The regimens for induction and maintenance therapy, organ rejection, patient survival, CD4 counts, HIV progression, infectious complications and deaths were recorded. The survival at 1 year, organ rejection and infectious complications were evaluated using a random effects model with 95% confidence intervals (CI).


RESULTS
Twelve case series met the defined criteria. Induction therapy consisted most commonly of the administration of anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies, and triple immunosuppressive therapy was used most commonly for maintenance. Among the 254 patients, 1-year survival was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.90-0.96), organ rejection was diagnosed in 0.36 (95% CI, 0.25-0.49) and infectious complications occurred in 0.29 (95% CI, 0.17-0.43). The CD4 counts decreased after transplantation but recovered later. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-defining infections occurred in three patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Kidney transplantation appears to be safe in patients undergoing HAART. However, larger series of patients are needed to determine the best protocols for the induction and maintenance of immunosuppression.
Transplant Surgery Division, University Hospital La Fe, Av. Campanar 21, 46009 Valencia, Spain. landinsurgery@gmail.com
Luis
L
Landin
Jose C
JC
Rodriguez-Perez
Miguel A
MA
Garcia-Bello
Pedro C
PC
Cavadas
Alessandro
A
Thione
Peter
P
Nthumba
Marino
M
Blanes
Javier
J
Ibañez
D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006085:Graft Survival; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome