GRAFT FUNCTION FOLLOWING RENAL-TRANSPLANT ATION IN CHILDREN

Background - Since renal transplantation is known to be the best choic e for the growing child with end-stage renal failure, we prospectively evaluated early and late graft function in transplanted children. Pop ulation and methods. - The study included 78 children (32 girls, 46 bo ys) aged 10.4 +/- 0.6 years at the time of transplantation. Renal inve stigations were performed at 3, 6 and 12 months post-transplantation a nd yearly thereafter. Inulin clearance was used to evaluate the glomer ular filtration rate (GRF) and the reabsorption rates of Na, P and Ca were measured concomitantly. Results. - The overall adjusted GFR was a pproximately 70 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and remained unchanged during the fir st 5 years post-transplantation. In the mean time the absolute GFR inc reased significantly, suggesting a remaining capacity for compensatory hypertrophy of the transplanted kidney Renal function was significant ly influenced by the number of rejection episodes during tire first 2 years post-transplantation but no correlation was found between GFR an d the number of HLA mismatches or the use of preemptive transplantatio n. (C) 1998, Elsevier, Paris.