The number of potential renal transplant recipients far exceeds the number of cadaveric donors. For this reason, living-related donors (LRD) and living-unrelated donors (LURD) have been used to decrease the cadaveric donor shortage. We analyzed 571 living donor transplants for 25 years in our center.
Materials and methods: From 1978 to 2003, 571 patients underwent LRD (n = 253), or LURD (n = 318) kidney transplantation. The patients were divided into precyclosporine era (from 1978 to 1987, n = 44; era I), cyclosporine era (from 1988 to 1997, n = 367, era II), and cyclosporine plus mycophenolate-mofetil era (from 1998 to 2003, n = 160, era III). We compared the graft survival rate of the recipients according to the immunosuppressants, analyzing the variables of donor and recipient age, sex, HLA matching, and acute rejection rate. We also compared long-term survival rates between LRD and LURD.
Results: The 1- and 10-year graft survival rates of all patients were 93.4% and 77.4%, respectively. The 1- and 10- year graft survival rates were 75.0% and 36.3% in era I; and 94.8 % and 80.2% in era II. The 1- and 5-year graft survival rates were 96.6% and 93.3% in era III (P < .001). The occurrence rate of an acute rejection episode was 11.4% (era I), 21.8% (era II), and 14.4% (era III) (P = .056). The 1- and 5-year graft survival rates were 92.3% and 81.7% among LRD transplants, and 94.2% and 86.9% among LURD transplants, respectively (P = .122).
Discussion: The graft survival rates of living-donor transplants are improving due to advances in patient care and new immunosuppressive agents.