The great success of Asian kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Little has been written about allograft survival in non-African-American minority groups. We examine the success of kidney transplantation in 1900 Asian recipients.

Methods: Data from 42,252 cadaveric and 16,115 live donor kidney transplant recipients were monitored from the United Network for Organ Sharing Scientific Renal Transplant Registry from 1991 through 1996.

Results: Asian recipients exhibited the highest cadaveric allograft survival rates (89% 1-year and 83% 3-year survival) and the longest mean allograft half-life (18 years). Asian women had the highest mean graft half-life (23 years). Asians were less likely to be broadly sensitized and had a high incidence of IgA nephropathy causing end-stage renal disease. Although it has been suggested that their low body weights may help explain the excellent allograft outcome, Asians exhibited superior graft survival rates even when compared with low body weight recipients of other races.

Conclusion: Asian renal allograft recipients, particularly Asian females, have the highest allograft survival rates of all racial groups.