Recently we validated the donor risk index (DRI) as conducted by Feng et al. for the Eurotransplant region. Although this scoring system is a valid tool for scoring donor liver quality, for ...allocation purposes a scoring system tailored for the Eurotransplant region may be more appropriate. Objective of our study was to investigate various donor and transplant risk factors and design a risk model for the Eurotransplant region. This study is a database analysis of all 5939 liver transplantations from deceased donors into adult recipients from the 1st of January 2003 until the 31st of December 2007 in Eurotransplant. Data were analyzed with Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression models. From 5723 patients follow‐up data were available with a mean of 2.5 years. After multivariate analysis the DRI (p < 0.0001), latest lab GGT (p = 0.005) and rescue allocation (p = 0.007) remained significant. These factors were used to create the Eurotransplant Donor Risk Index (ET‐DRI). Concordance‐index calculation shows this ET‐DRI to have high predictive value for outcome after liver transplantation. Therefore, we advise the use of this ET‐DRI for risk indication and possibly for allocation purposes within the Eurotrans‐plant region.
This article describes the Eurotransplant Donor Risk Index, a model based on donor and transplant parameters with high predictive value for outcome after orthotopic liver transplantation in the Eurotransplant region.
Vascular renal resistance (RR) during hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) is frequently used in kidney graft quality assessment. However, the association between RR and outcome has never been ...prospectively validated. Prospectively collected RR values of 302 machine‐perfused deceased donor kidneys of all types (standard and extended criteria donor kidneys and kidneys donated after cardiac death), transplanted without prior knowledge of these RR values, were studied. In this cohort, we determined the association between RR and delayed graft function (DGF) and 1‐year graft survival. The RR (mmHg/mL/min) at the end of HMP was an independent risk factor for DGF (odds ratio 21.12 1.03–435.0; p = 0.048) but the predictive value of RR was low, reflected by a c‐statistic of the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.58. The RR was also found to be an independent risk factor for 1‐year graft failure (hazard ratio 12.33 1.11–136.85; p = 0.004). Determinants of transplant outcome are multifactorial in nature and this study identifies RR as an additional parameter to take into account when evaluating graft quality and estimating the likelihood of successful outcome. However, RR as a stand‐alone quality assessment tool cannot be used to predict outcome with sufficient precision.
Increased renal resistance during hypothermic machine perfusion of deceased donor kidneys associates with the development of delayed graft function and 1‐year graft survival, but cannot be used exclusively in the process of accepting a kidney graft.
Abstract Introduction Because of the increasing demand for pancreas transplantation, more marginal donors are offered to Eurotransplant. The aim of this study was to validate a donor quality score ...that would facilitate recognition of a suitable pancreas donor among all reported donors. Materials and methods We analyzed all 3180 consecutively reported pancreas donors for the period between January 1, 2002 and June 30, 2005 and determined the influence of the preprocurement pancreas suitability score (P-PASS) on the acceptance of a pancreas. We defined a range and point weight for each variable based on clinical expertise and known literature. Results Multiple regression analysis using pancreas acceptance as an outcome variable identified P-PASS ≥ 17 as a significant cutoff point ( P < .001). Pancreata from donors with P-PASS ≥ 17 were three times more likely to be refused. Conclusion The donor score can help in screening for potential pancreas donors, where an ideal donor has a P-PASS < 17. Our data demonstrate that consideration of a combination of preprocurement factors can help identify a suitable pancreas donor. Therefore, we recommend that a pancreas donor score be calculated for each potential pancreas donor, and all donors with a P-PASS < 17 should be considered for pancreas donation.
Static cold storage (CS) is the most widely used organ preservation method for deceased donor kidney grafts but there is increasing evidence that hypothermic machine perfusion (MP) may result in ...better outcome after transplantation. We performed an economic evaluation of MP versus CS alongside a multicenter RCT investigating short‐ and long‐term cost‐effectiveness. Three hundred thirty‐six consecutive kidney pairs were included, one of which was assigned to MP and one to CS. The economic evaluation combined the short‐term results based on the empirical data from the study with a Markov model with a 10‐year time horizon. Direct medical costs of hospital stay, dialysis treatment, and complications were included. Data regarding long‐term survival, quality of life, and long‐term costs were derived from literature. The short‐term evaluation showed that MP reduced the risk of delayed graft function and graft failure at lower costs than CS. The Markov model revealed cost savings of $86 750 per life‐year gained in favor of MP. The corresponding incremental cost‐utility ratio was minus $496 223 per quality‐adjusted life‐year (QALY) gained. We conclude that life‐years and QALYs can be gained while reducing costs at the same time, when kidneys are preserved by MP instead of CS.
This economic evaluation alongside a randomized clinical trial of hypothermic machine preservation versus static cold storage in kidney transplantation shows that machine preservation is cost‐effective in terms of one‐year graft survival and long‐term patient survival.
History of Eurotransplant Langer, R.M; Cohen, B; Rahmel, A
Transplantation proceedings,
09/2012, Letnik:
44, Številka:
7
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Abstract In 1967, the Dutch immunologist Jon van Rood called Eurotransplant into life. From the beginning it was a non-profit private foundation. Initially it was a loose cooperation, where tissue ...typing laboratories and transplantation centers joined to achieve a better result for their kidney patients, a longer survival based on better immunological matching from a bigger donor pool. Other centers from the Benelux states, Germany and Austria soon joined the first few cooperating centers. Switzerland was also a member of Eurotransplant, but left the organization in 1978. Based on the pioneering work of the Leiden histocompatibility lab, the allocation system became more and more sophisticated and was extended to other solid organs. Since the 1980s Eurotransplant has allocated donor livers, hearts, and pancreas. Thereafter, the allocation also included lungs and small bowel. From 1996 a new kidney allocation system, the ETKAS, was introduced, and after the Acceptable Mismatch program and the Eurotransplant Senior Program (known unofficially as “old-for-old” program) were introduced. The main principle remains to adapt the allocation rules continuously according to the newest scientific data serving all organs. In 1991 the German reunification centers in the former Eastern Germany became part of Eurotransplant. In 1999, Slovenia, and in 2007 Croatia joined Eurotransplant. For the transplant centers in these two countries, membership meant positive changes and is regarded as a success story. Both donor numbers and transplant possibilities increased and equal chances are assured for their patients on the common Eurotransplant waiting list. Hungary, joining Eurotransplant next year, hopes to experience the same.
Abstract Background The results of pediatric renal transplantation have improved markedly in the last decade. However, a number of relevant clinical problems remain, such as organ damage caused by ...chronic rejection, long-term toxicity of immunosuppressive therapy, difficulty in developing tolerance-inducing protocols, secondary cardiovascular comorbidity, post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease, suboptimal longitudinal growth, quality of life, adherence to immunosuppressive medication, and structured transition programs to adult care. These unmet clinical needs require intense collaborative and interdisciplinary clinical research. We recently founded the Cooperative European Paediatric Renal TransplAnt INitiative (CERTAIN; www.certain-registry.eu ) as a research network and platform built on a novel, web-based registry. Results The registry's dataset provides essential information on generic kidney transplantation-related topics and also captures pediatric-specific topics, such as growth, physical and psychosocial development, and adherence. Due to its flexibility the system can be used as follows: (1) as a registry capturing a minimal or an extended dataset; (2) as a center and/or country-specific transplantation database; or (3) as a patient-specific electronic transplantation chart. The data can be exported directly from the CERTAIN web application into statistical software packages for scientific analyses. The rights regarding data ownership, evaluation, and publications are regulated in the registry's rules of procedure. Data quality is ensured by automatic software validation and a manual data review process. To avoid redundant data entry, CERTAIN has established interfaces for data change with Eurotransplant, the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS), and the registry of the European Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ESPN) and European Renal Association - European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) (ESPN/ERA-EDTA registry). CERTAIN fulfils all regulatory and ethical requirements of the European Union and Germany, in particular, regarding patients' data privacy and security. Conclusion Using modern information technology, the recently established multinational CERTAIN Registry fills a gap in Europe for collaborative 5research and quality assurance in the field of pediatric renal transplantation.
In Germany, the scarcity of donor organs has persisted over decades and reached an historical low point in the year 2017. A thorough analysis of the causes revealed structural deficits in the ...identification and registration of possible donors as one of the central reasons for the low donation rate. This prompted the political authorities to act and resulted in two new laws, which led to a modification of the German Transplantation Act. On 1 April 2019, the Act on Improvement of the Cooperation and the Structural Framework for Organ Donation came into force. This Act strengthens the role of the transplant coordinators in the harvesting hospitals and establishes adequate reimbursement of the organ donation-related costs in the harvesting hospitals. Furthermore, it fosters the cooperation of the transplant coordinators with the German organ procurement organization. On 16 January 2020, the existing opt-in legislation was modified. While the general principle of the opt-in legislation stayed unchanged, different measures were introduced that aim to repeatedly inform all citizens about organ donation and thereby motivate them to make a decision on organ donation. In order to enable a reliable and transparent documentation an organ donor registry will be established. The practical implementation of the various measures of both Acts is supported by a multi-institutional collaborative initiative plan for organ donation. The legal regulations and their practical implementation are depicted in detail.
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