IMPORTANCE OF DONOR-RECIPIENT BODY-WEIGHT RATIO AS A CAUSE OF KIDNEY GRAFT LOSS IN THE SHORT TO MEDIUM-TERM

The importance of the donor/recipient body weight rat io (DRBWR) as a cause of kidney graft loss was evaluated in 112 non-diabetic, ciclospo rin-treated, first cadaver kidney transplant recipients. According to the DRBWR, the patients were divided into three groups: 'low' (less th an or equal to 0.80), 'medium' (0.81-1.20), and 'high' (> 1.20). The t hree groups did not differ in patient or graft survival, and the DRBWR was not a predictor of graft failure at multivariate analysis (Cox mo dels), even after only patients with graft survivals > 1 year were con sidered. The three groups did not differ in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and proteinuria 6-60 months after renal transplantation. When t he 55 patients with a follow-up period > 4 years were considered, no d ifferences between groups were found in GFR or GFR evolution over time . Hypertension was significantly less frequent in group 'high' (Mantel -Cox p = 0.04), but very likely as a consequence of uneven recipient g ender (an independent predictor of hypertension at multivariate analys is) distribution between groups, the significance being lost when surv ival curves were rebuilt by stratifying for recipient gender. DRBWR ne ver resulted as a significant predictor of GFR at multivariate analysi s when GFR values 6-60 months after transplantation were analyzed. We conclude that the DRBWR has no major effects on kidney graft function and survival in the short to medium term.