Background: Despite the increasing use of older living donors in kidney transplantation, intermediate-term donor and recipient outcomes are poorly characterized.
Methods: We retrospectively compared 143 recipients from donors older than 50 years (older) to 319 recipients from donors 50 years or younger (younger).
Results: Mean older donor age (years) was 58; younger age was 37 (P<0.001). One-year, three-year, and five-year patient survival was 99.3%, 94.1%, and 91.3% in recipients of older donors and 99.7%, 98.7%, and 95.4% in recipients of younger donors respectively (P=not significant). One-year, three-year, and five-year death-censored graft survival was 99.2%, 95.0%, and 93.7% in older recipients and 99.7%, 96.7%, and 95.4% in younger recipients respectively (P=not significant). Older and younger recipients demonstrated equivalent rates of vascular complications (2.7% vs. 1.2%, P=not significant) and acute rejection (7.7% vs. 9%, P=not significant). Recipients from donors aged 51 to 59 (n=95), 60 to 69 (n=42), and older than 70 years (n=6) had diminished graft function (eGFR=46±13, 44.9±16, 32.2±18.6 mL/min/1.73m(2) at 5 years respectively) compared with younger donor recipients (58.4±20.0 mL/min/1.73m(2), P<0.001). Older donors had decreased baseline renal function compared with younger donors (eGFR of 82.5±35.12 and 105.3±46.7 mL/min/1.73m(2), respectively). No progressive decline in renal function was observed in older donors (3 years after donation).
Conclusion: Older living donor kidneys can be transplanted with low perioperative risk without compromising recipient 5-year patient or graft survival or donor renal function. Younger donor kidneys have superior graft function 5 years after transplantation, highlighting the need for appropriate donor/recipient matching.