Fibrous intimal thickening at implantation adversely affects long-term kidney allograft function.

Background: Kidneys from marginal and older donors are increasingly used to respond to the increasing demand for kidney transplants. This study evaluated the predictive value of intimal hyperplasia, as a marker of vasculopathy, in the renal allograft at the time of transplantation (transplantation) on the subsequent graft function (7 years).

Methods: The intima/media ratio of the arterial walls (I/M) was morphometrically determined by the sectorial elliptic method, in 51 implantation biopsies.