Renal transplantation between HIV-positive  donors and recipients justified.
HIV infection was previously an absolute contraindication to renal transplantation. However, with the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), renal transplantation using HIV-negative donor kidneys has successfully been employed for HIV-infected patients with end-stage renal failure. In resource-limited countries, places on dialysis programmes are severely restricted; HIV-infected patients, like many others with co-morbidity, are often denied treatment. Kidneys (and other organs) from HIV-infected deceased donors are discarded. The transplantation of HIV-positive donor kidneys to HIV-infected recipients is now a viable alternative to chronic dialysis or transplantation of HIV-negative donor kidneys. This significantly increases the pool of donor kidneys to the advantage of HIV-positive and -negative patients. Arguments are presented that led to our initiation of renal transplantation from HIV-positive deceased donors to HIV-positive recipients at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
Groote Schuur Hospital. elmi.muller@uct.ac.za
Elmi
E
Muller
Zunaid
Z
Barday
Marc
M
Mendelson
Delawir
D
Kahn
D016263:AIDS-Associated Nephropathy / Q000150:complications*; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D003906:Developing Countries; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D013019:South Africa