Increasing Kidney-Exchange Options Within the Existing Living Donor Pool With CIAT: A Pilot Implementation Study.

Computerized integration of alternative transplantation programs (CIAT) is a kidney-exchange program that allows AB0- and/or HLA-incompatible allocation to difficult-to-match patients, thereby increasing their chances. Altruistic donors make this available for waiting list patients as well. Strict criteria were defined for selected highly-immunized (sHI) and long waiting (LW) candidates.

Tacrolimus Monotherapy is Safe in Immunologically Low-Risk Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Randomized-Controlled Pilot Study.

In this randomized-controlled pilot study, the feasibility and safety of tacrolimus monotherapy in immunologically low-risk kidney transplant recipients was evaluated [NTR4824, www.trialregister.nl].

Creating Options for Difficult-to-match Kidney Transplant Candidates.

Background: Most transplantation centers recognize a small patient population that unsuccessfully participates in all available, both living and deceased donor, transplantation programs for many years: the difficult-to-match patients. This population consists of highly immunized and/or ABO blood group O or B patients.

Methods: To improve their chances, Computerized Integration of Alternative Transplantation programs (CIAT) were developed to integrate kidney paired donation, altruistic/unspecified donation, and ABO and HLA desensitization.

A High Comorbidity Score Should Not be a Contraindication for Kidney Transplantation.

Background: Currently, potential kidney transplant patients more often suffer from comorbidities. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was developed in 1987 and is the most used comorbidity score. We questioned to what extent number and severity of comorbidities interfere with graft and patient survival.

Alternative Living Kidney Donation Programs Boost Genetically Unrelated Donation.

Donor-recipient ABO and/or HLA incompatibility used to lead to donor decline. Development of alternative transplantation programs enabled transplantation of incompatible couples. How did that influence couple characteristics? Between 2000 and 2014, 1232 living donor transplantations have been performed.

Understanding the influence of ethnicity and socioeconomic factors on graft and patient survival after kidney transplantation.

Background: Studies on the influence of socioeconomic factors and ethnicity on the results of kidney transplantation have led to various outcomes. In this study, we analyzed the influence of a combination of these factors on graft and patient survival in a population of kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: This retrospective study included all 1,338 patients who received a kidney transplant between 2000 and 2011 (825 living, 513 deceased donor transplantations).

15-year follow-up of a multicenter, randomized, calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal study in kidney transplantation.

Background: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) are essential immunosuppressive drugs after renal transplantation. Because of nephrotoxicity, withdrawal has been a challenge since their introduction.

Methods: A randomized multicenter trial included 212 kidney patients transplanted between 1997 and 1999.

Transplantation results of completely HLA-mismatched living and completely HLA-matched deceased-donor kidneys are comparable.

Background: Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatches are known to influence graft survival in deceased-donor kidney transplantation. We studied the effect of HLA mismatches in a population of recipients of deceased-donor or living-donor kidney transplantations.

Methods: All 1998 transplantations performed in our center between 1990 and 2011 were included in this retrospective cohort study.

Genetic variants of FOXP3 influence graft survival in kidney transplant patients.

FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) play a role in controlling alloreactivity. It has been shown that short (GT)n dinucleotide repeats (≤(GT)15; S) in the promoter region of the FOXP3 gene enhance the promoter activity when compared to long (GT)n repeats (≥(GT)16; L). The present study retrospectively investigated the influence of this (GT)n FOXP3 gene polymorphism on renal allograft survival.

The functional polymorphism Ala258Ser in the innate receptor gene ficolin-2 in the donor predicts improved renal transplant outcome.

Background: Innate immunity plays a role in controlling adaptive immune responses.

Methods: We investigated the clinical relevance of single nucleotide polymorphisms in 22 genes encoding innate, secreted, and signaling pattern recognition receptors in a total of 520 donor-recipient pairs of postmortem, human leukocyte antigen-DR-compatible kidney transplantations. Associations with rejection incidence were tested in an a priori randomized training set and validation set.

The relative importance of donor age in deceased and living donor kidney transplantation.

In deceased donor kidney transplantation donor age is known to influence graft survival. The influence of living donor age on graft survival is questioned. We compared the influence of living and deceased donor age on the outcome of renal transplantation.

Accumulation of unfavorable clinical and socioeconomic factors precludes living donor kidney transplantation.

Background: In the past 30 years, the number of living donor kidney transplantations has increased considerably and nowadays outnumbers the deceased donor transplantations in our center. We investigated which socioeconomic and clinical factors influence who undergoes living or deceased donor kidney transplantation.

Methods: This retrospective study included all 1338 patients who received a kidney transplant between 2000 and 2011 in the Erasmus MC Rotterdam.

Ethnically diverse populations and their participation in living kidney donation programs.

Background: The number of living donor kidney transplantations increases steeply in Europeans, whereas the non-Europeans are dependent on deceased donor transplantations. We wondered whether a low attendance or a high decline of potential non-European donors could explain this difference.

Methods: This retrospective study includes all 1059 potential living kidney donors who attended our pretransplant clinic between 2000 and 2007.

High pretransplant parathyroid hormone levels increase the risk for graft failure after renal transplantation.

Background: Calcium (Ca), phosphate (P), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are important variables influencing the risk for cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients. We studied the influence of long-standing Ca-P disregulation on renal transplant survival.

Methods: Pretransplant PTH, Ca, P, total protein (TP), albumin, and alkaline phosphatase (AP) values were gathered in all 407 patients that received a renal transplant in our center between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2004.