Effect of Donor Age on Graft Function and Pathologic Findings in Living Donor Transplantation

The frequency of renal transplants from elderly living donors has increased because of a shortage of donors. However, the results of renal transplantation using aged kidney grafts have yet to be determined conclusively.

We evaluated 45 patients who underwent living donor kidney transplantation at our institution. The patients were categorized according to donor age at the time of the transplant: ≥ 60 years (elderly donor group, n = 21) and <60 years (young donor group, n = 24). We reviewed the renal function of the recipients and pathologic findings of the graft including interstitial fibrosis score, tubular atrophy score, tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis grades, and arteriosclerosis up to 2 years posttransplantation.

Significant differences were observed in the preoperative creatinine clearance of the donor, prevalence of hypertension in the donor, and age of the recipient. Serum creatinine levels in the elderly donor group were significantly higher from 2 months to 1 year posttransplantation, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly lower from 7 days to 1 year posttransplantation. However, the decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate from 14 days to up to 2 years posttransplantation was similar in the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in the renal biopsy findings between the 2 groups except for arteriosclerosis 1 year posttransplantation.

Kidney grafts from elderly living donors were not associated with a deterioration in renal function, and their pathologic findings were comparable with those of young donors for up to 2 years posttransplantation.