What the study found
Kidney transplants from donors aged 65 years or older with acute kidney injury, or AKI, had similar graft survival and kidney function to transplants from donors of the same age without AKI. Most of the AKI cases were mild.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that using kidneys from elderly donors with AKI may help expand the donor pool without compromising outcomes. The study suggests that these organs may be underutilized.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out a retrospective cohort study of kidney transplants done from 2006 to 2021 at three German transplant centers. They compared recipients of kidneys from donors aged 65 years or older with AKI, defined by KDIGO criteria, and recipients of kidneys from similar donors without AKI.
What worked and what didn't
Delayed graft function occurred at the same rate in both groups, 32.8% versus 32.8%. Death-censored graft survival was also similar at 7 years, 59.0% in the AKI group and 61.3% in the non-AKI group, and median eGFR, or estimated glomerular filtration rate, at 12 months was 33.8 versus 35.5 mL/min/1.73 m²; these findings were unchanged after adjustment in multivariable Cox regression.
What to keep in mind
This study mainly involved kidneys from donors with KDIGO stage 1 AKI, so the findings apply mostly to mild AKI. The abstract does not describe other limitations beyond the retrospective design and the specific donor age group studied.
Key points
- The study compared 183 recipients of kidneys from donors with AKI and 502 recipients from donors without AKI.
- Most AKI cases were KDIGO stage 1, indicating mild injury.
- Delayed graft function was identical in both groups at 32.8%.
- Seven-year death-censored graft survival was similar between groups.
- Kidney function at 12 months, measured by eGFR, did not differ meaningfully.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Kidneys from older donors with mild AKI had similar outcomes
- Authors:
- Quirin Bachmann, Lukas Nebl, Agathe A. Basta, Florian Kälble, Christoph Mahler, Matthias Ott, Matthias C. Braunisch, Volker Aßfalg, U Heemann, Jürgen Dippon, Lutz Renders, Vedat Schwenger, Fabian Echterdiek
- Institutions:
- Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University, Katharinenhospital, Katharinenhospital, Katharinenhospital, Klinikum Stuttgart, Klinikum Stuttgart, Klinikum Stuttgart, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, TUM Klinikum, University Hospital Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Stuttgart, University of Stuttgart
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-21
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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