No abstract

Machine perfusion (MP) has been used as the kidney preservation method in our center for over 10 years. The first, small (n = 74) prospective, single-blinded randomized study comparing MP and Cold Storage (CS) showed that the incidence of delayed graft function was higher after CS. There have been no reports in the literature on the effect of storage modality on longterm function of renal allografts. This paper presents an analysis of long-term results of renal transplantation in 415 patients operated on between 1994 and 1999. Of those, 227 kidneys were MP-stored prior to KTx. The control group consisted of 188 CS kidney transplants. Kidneys were not randomized to MP or to CS. Donor demographics, medical and biochemical data, cold ischemia time, HLA match and recipient data were collected. Standard triple-drug immunosuppression was administered to both groups. Mortality, graft survival and incidence of return to hemodialysis treatment were analyzed. Despite longer cold ischemia time and poorer donor hemodynamics in MP group, 5-year Kaplan-Meier graft survival was better in MP-stored than in CS-stored kidneys (68.2% vs. 54.2%, p = 0.02). Conclusion: In this nonrandomized analysis, kidney storage by MP improved graft survival and reduced the number of patients who returned to dialysis.

No abstract

Free-radical mediated injury occurring in the donor and during preservation is strictly correlated with immediate and long-term kidney function. It may also cause grafts to be prone to acute rejection.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of interferon-a (IFN-a) therapy of chronic hepatitis B, C and D (HBV, HCV and HDV, respectively) in renal transplant recipients. A group of 42 patients (30 males, 12 females, mean age 38 years) with documented viraemia and chronic active hepatitis (CAH) were studied, of whom 1 had HBV infection alone, 11 had HCV infection alone, 3 had HBV and HDV infection concomitantly, 12 had HBV and HCV infection concomitantly, and 2 had HBV, HCV and HDV infection concomitantly. Patients received 3 MU IFNa three times weekly for 6 months. After IFN-a therapy, 18 patients (43 %) achieved normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and a partial response was observed in 12 (29%) patients. Two patients relapsed (one with HCV and one with HBV + HCV infection) immediately after the cessation of IFN-a therapy. Repeated liver biopsy was performed in 16 patients after 6-24 months of therapy and revealed progression to cirrhosis in five patients, remission in two and stable disease in nine. None o f the patients cleared HCV RNA, four patients cleared HBeAg (two also HDV), and one both HBV and HCV Five patients died during IFN-a therapy (one as a consequence of liver failure), and four died during the 6 months after therapy (two as a consequence of liver failure). During IFN-a therapy renal allograft function remained stable in 31 patients and acute rejection episodes occurred in 7, of whom 5 lost their graft and all had experienced rejection episodes before. In 16 patients normalization of ALT continued during long-term follow-up (median 22 months, range 0-84 months). IFN-a seemed to be moderately effective in the treatment of chronic HBV or HCV infections, but cannot be recommended for recipients infected with both HBV and HCV.