THE INFLUENCE OF DELAYED RENAL-ALLOGRAFT FUNCTION ON LONG-TERM OUTCOME IN THE CYCLOSPORINE ERA

The influence of delayed renal graft function on long-term allograft o utcome remains uncertain. All 495 cyclosporine treated cadaver donor r enal transplants within a single center were analyzed with respect to dialysis dependence in the early posttransplant period. When compared with immediate allograft function, dialysis dependence for more than o ne week posttransplant was associated with prolonged cold ischemia tim e (27 +/- 11 vs 32 +/- 12 hours), cytotoxic antibodies >30% (14% vs 25 %), black race (29% vs 41%), increased incidence of acute rejection in the first year posttransplant (31 % vs 67%) and inferior 1-year (85% vs 52%) and 5-year (68% vs 33%) graft survival among primary transplan ts. No adverse effect however was noted on renal function in long-term survivors.