Black kidney transplant patients treated with the immunosuppressant rapamycin live longer than whites given the same medication. Nationwide, rapamycin is the third most commonly used drug for preventing organ rejection in kidney transplant patients. In the study, even though the black patients were more likely to have high blood pressure and more likely to have been on dialysis for longer before they received a transplant (which is associated with worse outcomes), they were 46 percent less likely to die over the next nine or 10 years than the white patients. Rapamycin is less toxic to the kidneys than other immune-suppressing drugs and may be better for long-term kidney function. One disadvantage is rapamycin can promote high cholesterol levels and high triglycerides.

According to a new survey by Donate Life America, 43 percent of people are undecided, reluctant or do not wish to have their organs and tissue donated after their deaths. While an improvement over findings from a similar survey last year in which 50 percent reported the same, the statistic illustrates a critical need to continue to increase the level of support for organ donation to save the lives of the more than 105,000 adults and children on the transplant waiting list in the U.S.

 

The survey uncovered reasons for registering and not registering. Among respondents who report being registered donors, the reason provided by more than half is to help others in need. For the undecided, reluctant or those who do not wish to have their organs and tissue donated, the most common reasons were not being sure they'd be acceptable donors, haven't decided, and wanting to keep their organs and be buried whole.

Don't delay registering for the 37th Annual AAKP Convention. This year's Convention takes place Sept. 2 - 4, at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa, FL, and features educational sessions, exciting social events and an exhibit hall filled with renal companies ready to show patients the latest products and treatment options available.

AAKP is calling on patients, family members, health care professionals and friends of the kidney community to apply to be a part of the AAKP National Board of Directors. The AAKP Board of Directors is responsible for establishing goals and policies for the Association. In addition, Board members are responsible for attending three meetings per year, participation in conference calls and committee membership. In keeping with the bylaws of the Association, more than 50 percent of the National Board of Directors must be comprised of kidney disease patients.  

Researchers have identified a gene variant in kidney donors that is associated with increased risk that the organ will stop working (graft failure) after it's transplanted into a recipient. The variation occurs in the CAV1 gene, which normally inhibits the development of fibrous connective tissue that can interfere with a transplant. Researchers analyzed DNA from hundreds of kidney donors and their recipients. The graft failure rate for donor kidneys with the AA genotype was 38.6 percent, compared with 22 percent for genotypes CC and AC. While only a minority of kidney donors have the genetic variation, it shows potential as a method of identifying which transplants have a greater risk of failure.

Belatacept may preserve renal function and improve long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation, according to initial results of a study. The results also suggest that it may provide similar patient and graft survival to cyclosporine but with fewer side effects and superior kidney function after 12 months. Although advances in transplantation have reduced rates of organ rejection and improved outcomes after one year, corresponding improvements in long-term survival rates have not been observed. The survival rate of transplants from a donor with different genes is 95 percent for transplants from living donors and 89 percent for transplants from deceased donors during the first year. The study is published in the American Journal of Transplantation.

The National Institutes of Health has funded a new $3.35 million research study to identify genes responsible for ESRD in lupus patients. Investigators from multiple universities nationwide are recruiting Lupus/ESRD patients for this study, including Ohio State University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Florida, Wake Forest University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Medical University of South Carolina, Northwestern University, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and others.

 

Participation in this study is voluntary and confidential. A recruiter will sit down with you to review the goals of the study and the consent process. He or she will ask you to answer a few questions about your disease and treatment, and you will be asked to provide a blood sample. Your participation will help further understanding of the causes of kidney damage in lupus patients and help other patients. If you wish to learn more about this study or learn how to get involved, please contact lupusresearch@uab.edu or call 877-965-8787.