Background: Renal transplants from non-heart-beating donors (NHBDs) yield acceptable function and allograft survival rates in the medium term. However, the long-term results are less certain and there is a paucity of information relating to the development of chronic allograft nephropathy. The aim of this study was to compare allograft fibrosis in kidneys transplanted from NHBDs and conventional heart-beating donors (HBDs).
Methods: A series of 37 NHBD and 75 HBD renal transplants were studied. Protocol renal transplant biopsies were performed at 6 and 12 months after transplantation. Biopsy sections were stained with Sirius red to demonstrate interstitial extracellular matrix. Renal allograft fibrosis was quantified using a computerized image analysis system.
Results: The mean first warm ischaemia time for kidneys from NHBDs was 24 min. A significant delay in graft function occurred in eight of 75 recipients in the HBD group and 31 of 37 in the NHBD group (P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the level of allograft fibrosis between the two groups at any time point.
Conclusion: Despite high rates of delayed graft function secondary to a prolonged warm ischaemia time, NHBD kidneys do not appear to be more susceptible to the development of renal allograft fibrosis. This study supports the growing body of evidence that kidneys from NHBDs are an acceptable alternative to those from HBDs.