Clinical outcomes in elderly kidney transplant recipients are related to acute rejection episodes rather than pretransplant comorbidity.

BACKGROUND: Deciding whether an elderly patient with end-stage renal disease is a candidate for kidney transplantation can be difficult. We aimed to evaluate pre- and early posttransplant risk factors that could predict outcome in elderly kidney recipients.

METHODS: Data from all elderly (>or= 70 years, n=354), senior (60-69 years, n=577), and control (45-54 years, n=563) patients receiving their first kidney transplant at our center from 1990 to 2005 were retrieved. Patient and graft survival were analyzed in a Cox model addressing the common risk factors including Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), pretransplant dialysis time, and early acute rejection episodes.

RESULTS: Acute rejection in the first 90 days, Hazard ratio (HR) 1.74 (1.34-2.25); time on dialysis, HR 1.02 (1.01-1.03) per month; and donor age more than 60 years, HR 1.52 (1.14-2.01) predicted mortality in the elderly. CCI score did not predict mortality in the elderly, HR 1.05 (0.98-1.12); but did so both in senior, HR 1.17 (1.08-1.27) and control recipients, HR 1.33 (1.19-1.48). Delayed graft function, HR 3.69 (2.01-6.79); donor age more than 60 years, HR 2.42 (1.30-4.49); and presence of human leukocyte antigen antibodies, HR 3.96 (1.38-11.37) were independent predictors for death-censored graft loss in the elderly.

CONCLUSION: Adequate immunosuppression with low frequency of rejection episodes improves the outcome for elderly kidney recipients as does a reduction of time on dialysis. CCI score at transplantation does not seem helpful in the selection of elderly patients for kidney transplantation but plays a significant role in patients under 70 years of age.