Two decades of the Eurotransplant Senior Program: the gender gap in mortality impacts patient survival after kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND: Long-term outcomes of the Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) are urgently needed to improve selection criteria and allocation policies in the elderly. METHODS: We analysed patient and allograft outcomes of 244 ESP-kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) between 1999 and 2019 and assessed quality of living compared with 82 ESP-waitlisted dialysis patients using standardized short form-8. RESULTS: We observed 1-, 5- and 10-year patient survival of 91.7, 66.3 and 38.0%, respectively. Mortality risk factors included male gender (P = 0.006) and T-cell-mediated rejection (P < 0.001). Median patient survival of male ESP-KTRs was 80 versus 131 months for female ESP-KTRs (P = 0.006). 1-, 5- and 10-year death-censored allograft survival was 93.3, 82.6 and 70.4%. Risk factors included high body mass index (P < 0.001) and T-cell-mediated rejection (P < 0.001). After re-initiation of dialysis median patient survival was 58 months. Change of estimated glomerular filtration rate showed a mean decline of 2.3 and 6.8 mL/min at 5 and 10 years. Median physical and mental component scores of ESP-KTRs were 40.2 and 48.3, significantly higher compared with dialysis patients (P < 0.05). Of ESP-KTRs, 97.5% who underwent transplantation would again do so. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes of ESP-KTRs ultimately support the effectiveness of an age-matched allocation system. Our data suggest that the survival advantage of women is maintained after kidney transplantation and calls for gender-specific care.