Pediatric deceased donor renal transplantation: An approach to decision making II. Acceptability of a deceased donor kidney for a child, a snap decision at 3 AM

Effect of donor-recipient size mismatch on long-term graft survival in pediatric kidney transplantation: a multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Donor-recipient size mismatching is commonly occurs in pediatric kidney transplantation (KT). However, its effect on graft survival remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the effect of donor-recipient size mismatch on the long-term survival rate of transplant kidneys in pediatric KT.

METHODS

A total of 241 pediatric patients who received KT were enrolled. The medical records of all patients were retrospectively reviewed, and the correlation between donor-recipient size mismatch and graft function and long-term graft outcome was analyzed according to donor-recipient size mismatch.

RESULTS

Recipients and donors' mean body weight at the time of KT were 34.31 ± 16.85 and 56.53 ± 16.73 kg, respectively. The mean follow-up duration was 96.49 ± 52.98 months. A significant positive correlation was observed between donor-recipient body weight ratio (DRBWR) or donor-recipient body surface area ratio (DRBSR) and graft function until 1 year after KT. However, this correlation could not be confirmed at the last follow-up. The results of long-term survival analysis using Fine and Gray's subdistribution hazard model showed no significant difference of the survival rate of the transplant kidney according to DRBWR or DRBSR.

CONCLUSION

Donor-recipient size mismatch in pediatric KT is not an important factor in determining the long-term prognosis of transplant kidneys.

Outcome of a thorough screening of lower urinary tract function in all pediatric kidney recipients

LUTD is one of the possible factors influencing pediatric kidney graft outcomes. This study evaluates the results of a thorough assessment of voiding behavior in pediatric transplants. Data of patients with kidney disease of nephrological origin are compared to those with urological origin. A single-center analysis of pediatric kidney transplants performed from 2005 to the present was executed. Donor and recipient characteristics as well as voiding and drinking habits were documented using FVCs and uroflowmetry with PVR measurements. LUTD was defined by a mean MVV >150% or <65% of the EBC for age, abnormal uroflowmetry, PVR repeatedly >15% of EBC or >20 mL, abnormal voiding patterns or behavior, and presence of LUT symptoms. LUTD was diagnosed in 71% of the 56 screened children and more present in urological origin of kidney disease (100%) compared to nephrological origin (61%, P = .005). Individual presence of LUT symptoms, abnormal voiding behavior, FVC parameters, UTIs, and uroflowmetry/PVR parameters were not different between the two groups. Polyuria after transplantation was seen in 63% of patients, mainly in the first post-transplant years and recipients aged <10 years. Time after transplantation was a significant independent predictive factor for the presence of LUTD. LUTD is common in all pediatric kidney recipients and underestimated in those with a nephrological origin of disease. Active screening, monitoring and a care attention plan prior to transplantation and during follow-up, is advocated to optimize outcomes for all patients.

Donor considerations in pediatric kidney transplantation

This article reviews kidney transplant donor options for children with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Global access to kidney transplantation is variable. Well-established national policies, organizations for organ procurement and allocation, and donor management policies may account for higher deceased donor (DD transplants) in some countries. Living donor kidney transplantation (LD) predominates in countries where organ donation has limited national priority. In addition, social, cultural, religious and medical factors play a major role in both LD and DD kidney transplant donation. Most children with ESKD receive adult-sized kidneys. The transplanted kidney has a finite survival and the expectation is that children who require renal replacement therapy from early childhood will probably have 2 or 3 kidney transplants in their lifetime. LD transplant provides better long-term graft survival and is a better option for children. When a living related donor is incompatible with the intended recipient, paired kidney exchange with a compatible unrelated donor may be considered. When the choice is a DD kidney, the decision-making process in accepting a donor offer requires careful consideration of donor history, kidney donor profile index, HLA matching, cold ischemia time, and recipient's time on the waiting list. Accepting or declining a DD offer in a timely manner can be challenging when there are undesirable facts in the donor's history which need to be balanced against prolonging dialysis in a child. An ongoing global challenge is the significant gap between organ supply and demand, which has increased the need to improve organ preservation techniques and awareness for organ donation.

Pediatric kidney transplantation is different from adult kidney transplantation

Kidney transplantation (KT) is the gold standard for renal replacement therapy in pediatric patients with end-stage renal disease. Recently, it has been observed that the outcome of pediatric KT is nearly identical to that in adults owing to the development and application of a variety of immunosuppressants and newer surgical techniques. However, owing to several differences in characteristics between children and adults, pediatric KT requires that additional information be learned and is associated with added concerns. These differences include post-KT complications, donor-recipient size mismatch, problems related to growth, and nonadherence to therapy, among others. This review was aimed at elucidating the clinical characteristics of pediatric KT that differ from those observed in adults.

Balancing competing needs in kidney transplantation: does an allocation system prioritizing children affect the renal transplant function?

Children often merit priority in access to deceased donor kidneys by organ-sharing organizations. We report the impact of the new Swiss Organ Allocation System (SOAS) introduced in 2007, offering all kidney allografts from deceased donors <60 years preferentially to children. The retrospective cohort study included all paediatric transplant patients (<20 years of age) before (n = 19) and after (n = 32) the new SOAS (from 2001 to 2014). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC), need for antihypertensive medication, waiting times to kidney transplantation (KTX), number of pre-emptive transplantations and rejections, and the proportion of living donor transplants were considered as outcome parameters. Patients after the new SOAS had significantly better eGFRs 2 years after KTX (Mean Difference, MD = 25.7 ml/min/1.73 m² , P = 0.025), lower UPC ratios (Median Difference, MeD = -14.5 g/mol, P = 0.004), decreased waiting times to KTX (MeD = -97 days, P = 0.021) and a higher proportion of pre-emptive transplantations (Odds Ratio = 9.4, 95% CI = 1.1-80.3, P = 0.018), while the need for antihypertensive medication, number of rejections and living donor transplantations remained stable. The new SOAS is associated with improved short-term clinical outcomes and more rapid access to KTX. Despite lacking long-term research, the study results should encourage other policy makers to adopt the SOAS approach.