When should expanded criteria donor kidneys be used for single versus dual kidney transplants?

To increase the utilization of cadaveric donor kidneys, we have recently expanded our acceptable criteria to include aged donors (frequently with a history of hypertension), by selectively using both donor kidneys (dual transplant) into a single recipient.

To define when these expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys should be used as a single versus a dual kidney transplant, we retrospectively reviewed 52 recipients of ECD kidneys that had been turned down by all other local centers between 1/1/95 and 11/15/96. Fifteen patients received dual transplants, whereas the remaining 37 received single kidneys. Of the dual kidney recipients, 14 of 15 ECD were > or = 59 years of age, 10 of 15 were hypertensive, and 9 of 15 were both. Of the single recipients, 11 of 37 ECD were > or = 59 years of age, 11 of 37 were hypertensive, and 7 of 37 were both. All patients received cyclosporine-based triple-drug therapy. We compared seven donor (D) and sixteen recipient outcome variables in single versus dual kidney transplants as subgrouped by: (1) donor admission creatinine clearance (D-AdC(Cr)) < 90 ml/min; (2) D-age > or = 59 years; and (3) cold storage (Cld Stg) < or > 24 hr.

In the group with D-AdC(Cr) < 90, there was a significantly higher incidence of delayed graft function (DGF) in single versus dual recipients (9 of 20 [45%] vs. 1 of 11 [9%]; P=0.04) and worse early graft function based upon mean serum creatinine at 1 and 4 weeks (5.3+/-3.3 and 2.8+/-2.0 vs. 1.7+/-0.6 and 1.4+/-0.5 mg] dl; P<0.05). In the group with D-age > or = 59, recipients of single kidneys had significantly higher mean serum creatinine at 1, 4, and 12 weeks versus recipients of dual kidneys (5.1+/-3.3, 3.4+/-2.1, 2.8+/-1.5 versus 2.8+/-2.5, 1.5+/-0.6, 1.6+/-0.5 mg/dl; P<0.05). Cld Stg time also had an impact on DGF and early outcome. Recipients of dual kidneys stored less than 24 hr had a significantly lower incidence of DGF versus single kidneys stored more than 24 hr (10% vs. 46%; P<0.05) and better early graft function based on mean serum creatinine at 1, 4, and 12 weeks (1.9+/-0.8, 1.3+/-0.4, 1.5+/-0.2 vs. 6.6+/-3.4, 3.0+/-1.6, 2.9+/-1.9 mg/dl; P<0.05). The overall 1-year patient and graft survivals were 96% and 81% vs. 93% and 87% (P=NS) in recipients of single ECD versus dual ECD kidneys.

In conclusion, we believe that kidneys from ECD with D-AdC(Cr) < 90 ml/min and D-age > or = 59 should be used as dual kidney transplants, keeping the Cld Stg time at < 24 hr to minimize the effect of Cld Stg on early graft function.