title: Kidney transplantation using donors over 70 years old: are the criteria for organ allocation too expanded?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The scarcity of organs available for transplantation has led to the use of kidneys from old deceased donors including those ≥70 years of age. The results of kidney transplants performed using such "limit" organs warrent further study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated all cadaveric heart-beating renal transplants performed from September 1996 to June 2010 using expanded-criteria donors: Group 1 included 302 transplants performed with kidneys from expanded-criteria donors aged 50-69 years; group 2 included 60 recipients of kidneys from donors aged ≥70 years. All patients were prescribed an immunossupressive regimen based on mycophenolate mofetil or mycophenolic acid, a calcineurin inhibitor, and corticosteroids, with or without monoclonal/polyclonal antibodies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The baseline recipient characteristics were similar except for age, which was higher in group 2; history of previous transplantation was absent in group 2, and there was more use of induction with monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies in group 2 (65% vs 49%; P = .02). There was no significant difference in the rate of nonfunctioning grafts, delayed graft function, or acute rejection episodes in the first 6 months. There was no significant difference between groups regarding graft or patient survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of kidneys from donors aged ≥70 older than or years yielded generally satisfactory results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Renal Transplantation Unit, Hospitais da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. susana_machado_@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Macário
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campos
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D051799:Delayed Graft Function / Q000209:etiology; D046148:Donor Selection; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents