OBJECTIVETo summarize the experiences in high-risk renal transplant recipients for ketter long-term survival.

METHODSFrom April 1991 to December 2008, a total of 921 kidney recipients with high-risk factors were divided into six groups as following: (1) pediatric patients (< 18 years old) (GI, n = 34); (2) retransplant recipients (GII, n = 169); (3) high sensitized patients (PRA> 30% or peak PRA > 50%)(GIII, n = 35); (4) elderly recipients (> 60 years old) (GIV, n = 297); (5) diabetic patients (GV, n = 112); (6) patients with HBV/HCV infection or HBV/HCV carrier (GVI, n = 274). Each group was compared to a control of 807 recipients without any above risk factor for patient and graft survival at 1, 3 and 5 years. Incidences of acute rejection (AR), chronic rejection (CR) and complication were analyzed and compared respectively between the studied subjects and the control group as well.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, patient/graft survivals were lower in GII, GIII and GVI (all P < 0.05), GIV had worse patient survival (P < 0.05); AR and CR incidences were greater in GI and GIII (all P < 0.05); GIV, GV and GVI had more complications.

CONCLUSIONSThis study suggests the benefits for long-term outcome in high-immunological risk renal transplant recipients of low acute selection incidence rate, and reduction of complication incidences is the key to long term results for non-immunological high risk recipients.