First UK case report of kidney transplantation from an HIV-infected deceased donor to two HIV-infected recipients

Abstract

Kidney transplantation is now considered the treatment of choice for many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Graft survival rates using HIV-negative donors and carefully selected HIVpositive ESRD patients are similar to those observed in HIV-uninfected kidney transplant recipients. To address the relative shortfall in donated organs it has been proposed that organs from HIV-infected deceased donors might be allocated to HIVinfected patients on the transplant waiting list. Preliminary experience in South Africa reports promising short-term outcomes in a small number of HIV-infected recipients of kidney transplants from HIV-infected donors. We sought to replicate this experience in the UK by accepting kidney offers from HIV infected deceased donors for patients with HIVinfection on the kidney transplant waiting list. Here we report the UK's first cases of kidney transplantation between HIVpositive donors and recipients.