Improvement of Kidney-Graft Survival with Increased Numbers of Blood Transfusions

Abstract

In a study of 1360 cadaver-donor kidney transplants we found a striking correlation of increased numbers of pretransplant blood transfusions with Improved transplant survival (P20 transfusions was 71±5 per cent at one year as compared with 42±2 per cent for recipients with no transfusions; at four years the survival rates were 65±5 per cent and 30±3 per cent (P-6). Frozen blood was less effective than nonfrozen blood in producing this effect. In contrast to previous reports based on fewer numbers of transplants, a single pretransplant transfusion or transfusions given during transplantation had no statistically significant influence on graft outcome. The beneficial effect of pretransplant transfusions was apparent at transplant centers with high or low overall success rates. Deliberate transfusion trials in prospective transplant recipients should consider this strong dose dependence of graft prolongation by transfusions. (N Engl J Med 299:799–803, 1978)