Renal transplantation: Strategies to prevent organ rejection - The role of an Inter-Regional Reference Center

Massimo Cardillo, Francesca Poli, Fiorenza Barraco, Nicola De Fazio, Giuseppe Rossini, Luigi Boschiero, Arcangelo Nocera, Paolo Rigotti, Francesco Marchini, Graziella Zacchello, Gianfranco Zanon, Silvio Sandrini, Stefano Chiaramonte, Cristina Maresca, Rossana Caldara, Piergiorgio Messa, Luisa Berardinelli, Andrea Ambrosini, Domenico Montanaro, Teresa RampinoEnrico Minetti, Eliana Gotti, Luciana Ghio, Fabrizio Ginevri, Fulvio Albertario, Mario Scalamogna

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This paper summarizes the role of the Inter-Regional Reference Center (RC) of the North Italy Transplant program (NITp), in coordinating a donor procurement and organ transplantation network, with a special focus on the strategies to minimize immunological risk and complications after transplantation. In the NITp, patients enrolled on the renal transplantation (RT) waiting list are typed for HLA-A,B,DRB1 antigens with a genomic method. They are periodically screened for the presence of lymphocytotoxic antibodies in their serum by the RC and their suitability to receive the transplant is checked periodically. Cadaver kidney allocation is ruled by a computerized algorithm, named NITK3, established in 1997, which aims at ensuring quality, equity, transparency and traceability during all the phases of the allocation decision-making process. NITK3 has been set up by the NITp Working Group on the basis of biological, medical and administrative criteria and it is periodically reviewed after the analysis of transplant results. In this paper, we show the results of a preliminary analysis of RTs performed from 1998 to 2002 in nine out of sixteen centers of the NITp area, which demonstrates the general quality of the NITp program in terms of patients and graft survival and the special attention to the patients at higher immunological risk.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationContributions to Nephrology
Pages1-10
Number of pages10
Volume146
Publication statusPublished - 2005

Publication series

NameContributions to Nephrology
Volume146
ISSN (Print)03025144

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nephrology

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