[Influence of recipient age on renal transplantation performed with organs coming from child donors].

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of receptor's age on the outcomes of kidney transplants with organs from donors below the age of three years and/or weighting less than 15 Kg.

Methods: We retrospectively studied the renal transplants with organs from donors below the age of three years and/or weighting less than 15 Kg performed at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos between 1991 and 1999. Receptors were divided into two groups depending on the age at the time of transplantation; group I included patients younger than 50 years and group II patients older than 50.

Results: We study 49 kidney transplants with pediatric donors (8.6%); 22 of them were included in group I and 27 in group II. There were no deaths among receptors younger than 50 years. Five-year survival for group II was 75.99%. Five-year graft survival what's 81.82% for group I, and 88.89% for group II (p 0.45).

Conclusions: Receptor's age does not seem to influence graft survival when this kind of organs are used; we consider that the lower incidence of acute rejection in patients older than 50 years may explain the excellent response.