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Depending on the type of deceased donor,* 15-50 percent of transplanted kidneys do not function immediately following transplantation and many patients will require dialysis treatments for a certain period after transplantation.(2,3,4) As a result, these kidneys have an increased risk of rejection (3) and survival of the kidney graft may be compromised. This in turn will put pressure on the already long transplant waiting lists.(3,4)
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"This is a truly important finding for the thousands of people on transplant waiting lists around the world", said Rutger Ploeg, coordinating principal investigator for the trial and Professor of Transplant Surgery at the University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. "The ongoing challenges we face today are a global shortage of organs for transplantation and that a growing number of the organs available for transplantation are often from older donors or from people with more complex medical conditions. Evidence tells us that these kidneys may not work as well immediately post transplantation and as a result may not last as long. This trial shows us that, regardless of the type of donor, by using machine preservation we can ensure that there will be more kidneys available for transplantation and that they will be in better health."
Cyril Moers, lead author and clinical research trainee at the University Medical Center Groningen, added "The results of the study clearly show the advantages of machine preservation over the traditional box of ice. Although machine preservation has been around for quite some decades, a large randomised clinical trial investigating its merits had never been conducted. Our international study for the first time demonstrates that any deceased donor kidney will benefit from this preservation method."
Facts about the trial
Study Endpoints
Results from the study
Facts about transplantation
Notes to editors:
* Deceased donors include:
(1) Moers C, Smits JM, Maathuis M-HJ et al. Machine perfusion or cold storage in deceased-donor kidney transplantation. N Engl J Med 2009;360:7-19.
(2) Koning OH, Ploeg RJ, van Bockel JH et al. Risk factor for delayed graft function in cadaveric kidney transplantation: a prospective study of renal function and graft survival after preservation with University of Wisconsin solution in multi-organ-donors. European Multicenter Study Group. Transplantation. 1997 Jun 15;63(11):1620-8.
(3) Daly PJA, Power RE, Healy DA et al. Delayed graft function: a dilemma in renal transplantation. BJU International 2005;96:498-501.
(4) Perico N, Cattaneo D, Sayegh MH, Remuzzi G. Delayed graft function in kidney transplantation. Lancet 2004; 364: 1814.
(5) www.worldkidneyday.org/pages/facts.php
(6) www.optn.org
(7) www.eurotransplant.eu
-- The Machine Preservation Trial was an investigator-driven study, run by an independent scientific steering committee across The Netherlands, Belgium and the German federal state of North Rhine Westphalia, in close collaboration with Eurotransplant International Foundation (the international organ exchange organisation for Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Luxemburg, The Netherlands and Slovenia) as the central trial assistance desk. Principal investigators were Rutger Ploeg (Groningen, The Netherlands), Andreas Paul (Essen, Germany), and Jacques Pirenne (Leuven, Belgium). -- During the time of the trial, every deceased donor in the area was considered for inclusion in the study. 336 pairs of kidneys were enrolled in the study. One kidney from each pair was randomly assigned to machine preservation, and the other one to cold storage. Kidneys were transplanted in recipients across the Eurotransplant area. -- The manufacturers, Organ Recovery Systems of Chicago, USA provided the LifePort Kidney Transporters used in the study. The machines were used for the preservation and transport of kidneys from organ recovery until transplantation.
SOURCE Mechanical Perfusion Study Scientific Steering Committee
