title: Increasing trend in infection-related death-censored graft failure in renal transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advances in kidney transplantation have significantly improved early outcomes but failed to improve long-term graft survival. Despite many causes, the contribution of infection to death-censored graft failure (DCGF) is unknown. The aim of our study is to assess the impact of infections on DCGF using United Network for Organ Sharing data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 38,286 DCGFs among 189,110 first kidney transplants performed between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2006. Information on infection contributing to DCGF was available in 31,326 DCGF recipients. Student's two-sample t test for normally distributed variables, Wilcoxon rank sum test for nonnormally distributed, and Chi-square test for categorical variables were used in univariable comparisons. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent contribution of variables to infection-related DCGF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, infection accounted for 7.7% (2397/31,326) of all DCGF. The rate of infection-related DCGF increased from 6.4% in 1990 to 10.1% in 2006 and was significantly higher during 1997 to 2006 when compared with 1990 to 1996 period (9.1% vs. 6.3%, P<0.001). Over these 17 years, the trends in infection-related DCGF and rejection rates showed an inverse relationship with the former exceeding the latter starting in 2005. The risk of infection-related DCGF was higher (14.1%) in recipients older than 65 years and exceeded the rejection rate in those older than 60 years. Urological complications and polyoma infection were the most significant risk factors with odds ratios of 8.77 (confidence interval: 5.15-14.93) and 2.55 (confidence interval: 1.41-4.61), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infection is increasingly contributing to DCGF in recent years and warrant reevaluation of current immunosuppression protocols, especially in older recipients.
authors: Division of Nephrology and Transplantation, William-Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, USA. Ravi.parasuraman@Beaumont.edu
authors: Ravi
authors: R
authors: Parasuraman
authors: Marwan
authors: M
authors: Abouljoud
authors: Gordan
authors: G
authors: Jacobsen
authors: Gampala
authors: G
authors: Reddy
authors: Alan
authors: A
authors: Koffron
authors: K K
authors: KK
authors: Venkat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology