Introduction:
The field of renal transplantation has witnessed significant advancements in recent years. We share the outcomes of paediatric renal transplant patients and grafts in a tropical tertiary center in the newer immunosuppression era.
Methods:
In this retrospective cohort study, all children ≤18 years who underwent kidney transplantation at our center between 2006 and 2023 were included. Baseline characteristics, post-transplant events, and outcomes were retrieved from the institutional transplant records.
Results:
Among the 168 paediatric transplants done in our institute from 1991, 77 children who underwent paediatric renal transplants between 2006 and 2023 were included in the study, with a mean duration of follow-up of 68 months (range 20–115 months). The mean weight of the transplant recipients was 41kg (±11kg), and the mean age was 16 years (±2.5 years). Most common cause of end stage kidney disease(ESKD) were CAKUT/Urological abnormalities(28.6%), FSGS(5.2%), other glomerular diseases(24.7%) and unknown etiology(41.6%). Primary Immunosuppression was corticosteroids, a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), and an antiproliferative agent in 92.2% of children. The primary induction given was Basiliximab in 54.4% of the cases. UTI was the most common infective complication (36.4%), and 27.3% had at least one episode of rejection. The graft survival rate for 1-, 5-, and 10-years was 98%, 92%, and 88%. Overall, the patient survival rate for 1-, 5-, and 10 years was 98.5%, 97%, and 90%. There was no difference between the incidence of infection or rejection episodes between patients with CAKUT/urological causes and other ESKD causes.
Conclusions:
Our study provides robust evidence that paediatric renal transplants have favorable long-term outcomes, reinforcing their value in caring for young patients with chronic kidney disease for a better quality of life.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.