Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation

To address the shortage of organs for kidney transplantation, the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) was established to enhance kidney allocation from elderly donors. This study aimed to evaluate post-transplant outcomes of deceased donor grafts and identify prognostic factors within the ESP popula...

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Main Authors: Tom N. Langer, Thorsten Wiech, Mercedes Noriega, Sergey Biniaminov, Tobias B. Huber, Lutz Fischer, Florian Grahammer, Malte A. Kluger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Transplant International
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Online Access:https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14153/full
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author Tom N. Langer
Tom N. Langer
Thorsten Wiech
Thorsten Wiech
Mercedes Noriega
Sergey Biniaminov
Tobias B. Huber
Tobias B. Huber
Lutz Fischer
Lutz Fischer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Malte A. Kluger
Malte A. Kluger
author_facet Tom N. Langer
Tom N. Langer
Thorsten Wiech
Thorsten Wiech
Mercedes Noriega
Sergey Biniaminov
Tobias B. Huber
Tobias B. Huber
Lutz Fischer
Lutz Fischer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Malte A. Kluger
Malte A. Kluger
author_sort Tom N. Langer
collection DOAJ
description To address the shortage of organs for kidney transplantation, the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) was established to enhance kidney allocation from elderly donors. This study aimed to evaluate post-transplant outcomes of deceased donor grafts and identify prognostic factors within the ESP population. We therefore analyzed patient data from 64 ESP recipients and their donors transplanted at our center between 2017 and 2022. Time-zero biopsies were analyzed using AI image analysis software for glomerular density and glomerulosclerosis. One-year patient and allograft survival rates were 96.9% and 85.9%. 5-year survival rate was 74.6%, as opposed to about 41.0% historically reported for patients on dialysis. Delayed Graft Function occurred in 29.7% of cases, with recipient coronary heart disease, BMI-disparities, and prolonged cold ischemia time as major predictors (P < 0.05). Histopathological analysis revealed that the degree of glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) were associated with graft failure in multivariable analyses (P < 0.05). Arteriolosclerosis (arteriolar hyalinosis) correlated with a higher risk for primary non-function (P < 0.05). The number of HLA mismatches was not significantly associated with graft outcome. Including prognostic baseline characteristics as well as histopathological AI analysis into individual allocation decisions during organ-acceptance process might improve allograft survival within the ESP and should prospectively be studied.
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spelling doaj-art-d53d1b9d7c074387a3896aa390c0413c2025-08-20T03:55:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Transplant International1432-22772025-06-013810.3389/ti.2025.1415314153Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of AllocationTom N. Langer0Tom N. Langer1Thorsten Wiech2Thorsten Wiech3Mercedes Noriega4Sergey Biniaminov5Tobias B. Huber6Tobias B. Huber7Lutz Fischer8Lutz Fischer9Florian Grahammer10Florian Grahammer11Florian Grahammer12Malte A. Kluger13Malte A. Kluger14III. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyUniversity Transplant Center (UTC), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Pathology, Nephropathology Section, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyHamburg Center for Kidney Health (HCKH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Pathology, Nephropathology Section, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyHS Analysis GmbH, Karlsruhe, GermanyIII. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyHamburg Center for Kidney Health (HCKH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyUniversity Transplant Center (UTC), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyDepartment of Visceral Transplantation, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyIII. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyUniversity Transplant Center (UTC), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyHamburg Center for Kidney Health (HCKH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyIII. Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyUniversity Transplant Center (UTC), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, GermanyTo address the shortage of organs for kidney transplantation, the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) was established to enhance kidney allocation from elderly donors. This study aimed to evaluate post-transplant outcomes of deceased donor grafts and identify prognostic factors within the ESP population. We therefore analyzed patient data from 64 ESP recipients and their donors transplanted at our center between 2017 and 2022. Time-zero biopsies were analyzed using AI image analysis software for glomerular density and glomerulosclerosis. One-year patient and allograft survival rates were 96.9% and 85.9%. 5-year survival rate was 74.6%, as opposed to about 41.0% historically reported for patients on dialysis. Delayed Graft Function occurred in 29.7% of cases, with recipient coronary heart disease, BMI-disparities, and prolonged cold ischemia time as major predictors (P < 0.05). Histopathological analysis revealed that the degree of glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA) were associated with graft failure in multivariable analyses (P < 0.05). Arteriolosclerosis (arteriolar hyalinosis) correlated with a higher risk for primary non-function (P < 0.05). The number of HLA mismatches was not significantly associated with graft outcome. Including prognostic baseline characteristics as well as histopathological AI analysis into individual allocation decisions during organ-acceptance process might improve allograft survival within the ESP and should prospectively be studied.https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14153/fullkidney transplantationelderlyESP European Senior ProgramAI histopathologymachine learning
spellingShingle Tom N. Langer
Tom N. Langer
Thorsten Wiech
Thorsten Wiech
Mercedes Noriega
Sergey Biniaminov
Tobias B. Huber
Tobias B. Huber
Lutz Fischer
Lutz Fischer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Florian Grahammer
Malte A. Kluger
Malte A. Kluger
Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
Transplant International
kidney transplantation
elderly
ESP European Senior Program
AI histopathology
machine learning
title Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
title_full Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
title_fullStr Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
title_full_unstemmed Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
title_short Clinical and Histopathological Determinants for Kidney Allograft Survival in the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) at the Time of Allocation
title_sort clinical and histopathological determinants for kidney allograft survival in the eurotransplant senior program esp at the time of allocation
topic kidney transplantation
elderly
ESP European Senior Program
AI histopathology
machine learning
url https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/ti.2025.14153/full
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