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Age Disparities Documented in Access to First and Second Kidney Transplants

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By Natasha Persaud

Despite growing access to kidney transplantation, adults older than 65 years are still less likely than younger patients to be waitlisted and receive a first or second kidney, investigators reported at the 2023 American Transplant Congress in San Diego, California.

Using 1995-2018 data from the US Renal Data System, investigators identified 2,495,031 adult patients on dialysis seeking a first kidney transplant and 110,338 adult recipients seeking a second kidney transplant after their initial graft failed.
Read more in Renal & Urology News.

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Donated kidneys from deceased COVID-19 patients are safe to transplant

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Study finds that such organs don’t transmit virus that causes COVID-19

By Jim Dryden

Kidneys from organ donors who were diagnosed with COVID-19 are safe to transplant and don’t transmit the virus to people who receive those organs, according to a new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Of the many thousands of kidneys transplanted since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been no reported infections after transplant surgery related to kidneys donated by people who died and had tested positive for the virus. Most donors died of causes other than COVID-19, but even in those who had tested positive for the virus within a week of their deaths, there was no effect on the success of the transplants. Read more from the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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People take to social media to find living donors for kidney transplants

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By Erin Wise

Thousands of people in Alabama have kidney failure and many are in need of kidney transplants, but the number of patients greatly outnumber available kidneys. Many have taken to social media to find a living donor.

Annitra McGowan was diagnosed with stage three kidney disease four years ago. Her health declined further after getting COVID-19 in 2021. Read more from ABC 33/40 News.

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Race-Free eGFR Validated for Kidney Transplant Patients

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By Mitchel L. Zoler, PhD

French researchers have developed and validated a creatinine-based, race-free equation for calculating estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in people who have received a kidney transplant. It performed as well, or better, than three established eGFR equations, including the 2021 race-free equation now widely used in US practice.

“The new equation provides a more accurate estimation of kidney function” in kidney transplant recipients compared with prior equations, said Marc Raynaud, PhD, lead author of the report, which was recently published in BMJ. Read more in Medscape.

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Transplant Centers Often Skip the Top Spot on the Kidney Waitlist

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By F. Perry Wilson, MD, MSCE

This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Welcome to Impact Factor, your weekly dose of commentary on a new medical study. I’m Dr F. Perry Wilson of the Yale School of Medicine.

The idea of rationing medical care is anathema to most doctors. Sure, we acknowledge that the realities of healthcare costs and insurance companies might limit our options, but there is always a sense that when something is truly, truly needed, we can get it done. Read more in Medscape.

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Three-year graft survival achieved for HCV kidneys

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By Mark E. Neumann

Deceased donor kidneys with the hepatitis C virus can show graft survival beyond 1 year when transplanted into patients without the virus, according to a recently published study.

The study, conducted at two large transplant centers in the U.S., “provides important evidence that HCV-RNA [positive] kidney transplants function well beyond [1] year and that complications, such as rejection and [donor-specific antibodies] DSA, did not occur at elevated rates,” Vishnu Potluri, MD, MPH, of the renal-electrolyte and hypertension division at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and colleagues wrote. Read more in Healio.

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Kidney transplants from COVID-positive donors are safe: Study

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By Ashleigh Hollowell

Kidney transplant recipients did not have worsened outcomes after receiving an organ from a COVID-19 positive donor, a study published May 30 in JAMA has found. 

Researchers studied outcomes from 45,912 patients who received kidneys from 35,851 deceased coronavirus-positive donors between March 1, 2020, and March 30, 2023. Read more in Becker’s Hospital Review.



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Kidneys From COVID-19-Positive Donors Safe for Transplant

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By Nancy A. Melville
Patients receiving kidneys transplanted from donors with either resolved or active COVID-19 show no greater risk of poor outcomes or death, shows new research, which also indicates that the reluctance to use those kidneys early in the pandemic appears to be waning.

“This cohort study found that the likelihood of nonuse of COVID-19–positive donor kidneys decreased over time and, for kidneys procured in 2023, donor COVID-19 positivity was no longer associated with higher odds of nonuse,” write the authors in their study, published today in JAMA Network Open.
Read more in Medscape.

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6 Ways to Help Improve Blood Pressure

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Nearly half of adults in the United States (47%, or 116 million) have high blood pressure, increasing their risk of severe medical conditions like kidney disease, heart disease, eye damage, and stroke. Despite these risks, only about 1 out of every 4 people with high blood pressure have their condition under control. This may sound scary, but NKF is here to help you start taking control of your blood pressure today. Read more from the National Kidney Foundation.

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