The association of state and national legislation with living kidney donation rates in the United States: a national study

Receipt and Sharing of Information to Improve Knowledge About Living Donor Kidney Transplant among Transplant Candidates with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease

Introduction: Knowledge about living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) is associated with greater access. Yet, little is known about factors associated with high living donor transplant knowledge. Research Questions: Is receipt of LDKT information from health professionals or sharing information with family and friends associated with higher knowledge? Design: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from preemptive LDKT candidates, which assessed knowledge, receipt of information about living donation from health professionals, and history of having shared living donor information with family members or friends. In multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for participants' age, race, and total household income, we quantified the association of high knowledge with receipt of living donation information from health professionals and sharing of this information with family/friends. Results: Among 130 participants, the median (IQR) age was 59.5 (52.0-65.0) years, 60% were female, 47.7% were Black, and 49.2% had a high school education or less. Over half (55.4%) had high LDKT knowledge. Nearly one third reported having received living donor information (33.1%) or sharing the information with family/friends (28.5%). After adjustment, those who received (vs. did not receive information) and shared information with family/friends had 3-fold higher odds of high LDKT knowledge (3.05 [1.24, 8.08]). Individuals who received LDKT information (vs. did not) from health professionals had 4-fold higher odds of high LDKT knowledge (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 4.01 [1.49, 12.18]. Conclusions: Receipt of living donation information from health professionals and sharing this information with family/friends were associated with high LDKT knowledge.

Association Between Donor-Recipient Biological Relationship and Allograft Outcomes After Living Donor Kidney Transplant

IMPORTANCE

The proportion of living donor kidney transplants from donors unrelated to their recipients is increasing in the US.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between donor-recipient biological relationship and allograft survival after living donor kidney transplant.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This retrospective cohort study used Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data on US adult living donor kidney transplants (n = 86 154) performed from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2014, excluding cases in which recipients previously received a kidney transplant (n = 10 342) or key data were missing (n = 2832). Last follow-up was March 20, 2020.

EXPOSURES

Donor-recipient biological relationship.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was death-censored allograft failure. Univariate and multivariable time-to-event analyses were performed for death-censored allograft failure for the overall cohort, then separately for recipients with and without primary diagnoses of cystic kidney disease and for transplants from African American and non-African American donors.

RESULTS

Among the 72 980 transplant donor and recipients included in the study (median donor age, 41 years; interquartile range [IQR], 32-50 years; 43 990 [60%] female; 50 014 [69%] White), 43 174 (59%) donors and recipients were biologically related and 29 806 (41%) were unrelated. Donors related to their recipients were younger (median [IQR] age, 39 [31-48] vs 44 [35-52] years) and less likely to be female (24 848 [58%] vs 19 142 [64%]) or White (26 933 [62%] vs 23 081 [77%]). Recipients related to their donors were younger (median [IQR] age, 48 [34-58] vs 50 [40-58] years), more likely to be female (18 035 [42%] vs 10 530 [35%]), and less likely to have cystic kidney disease (2530 [6%] vs 4600 [15%]). Related pairs had fewer HLA mismatches overall (median [IQR], 3 [2-3] vs 5 [4-5]). After adjustment for HLA mismatches, donor and recipient characteristics, and transplant era, donor-recipient biological relationship was associated with higher death-censored allograft failure (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.10; P = .03). When stratified by primary disease, this association persisted only for recipients without cystic kidney disease. When stratified by donor race, this association persisted only for transplants from African American donors.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, living donor kidney transplants from donors biologically related to their recipients had higher rates of allograft failure than transplants from donors unrelated to their recipients after HLA matching was accounted for. Further study is needed to determine which genetic or socioenvironmental factors are associated with this finding.

Ethically Acceptable Compensation for Living Donations of Organs, Tissues, and Cells: An Unexploited Potential?

The number of living donations of human organs, tissues, and cells falls far short of the need. Market-like arrangements to increase donation rates have been proposed, but they are broadly considered unacceptable due to ethical concerns and are therefore not policy relevant in most countries. The purpose of this paper is to explore a different approach to increasing living donations, namely through the use of ethically acceptable compensation of donors. We review the compensation practices in Europe and find a lack of reimbursement of incurred costs and lack of compensation for non-monetary losses, which create disincentives for donation. We draw on a well-known philosophical theory to explain why donors are rarely fully compensated and why many existing proposals to raise donation rates are seen as controversial or even unethical. We present and discuss three categories of compensation with the potential to increase donation rates in an ethically acceptable way.

Association of Race and Ethnicity With Live Donor Kidney Transplantation in the United States From 1995 to 2014

IMPORTANCE

Over the past 2 decades, there has been increased attention and effort to reduce disparities in live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) for black, Hispanic, and Asian patients with end-stage kidney disease. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these efforts have been successful.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate changes over time in racial/ethnic disparities in LDKT in the United States, accounting for differences in death and deceased donor kidney transplantation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A secondary analysis of a prospectively maintained cohort study conducted in the United States of 453 162 adult first-time kidney transplantation candidates included in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2014, with follow-up through December 31, 2016.

EXPOSURES

Race/ethnicity.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary study outcome was time to LDKT. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and competing risk models were constructed to assess changes in racial/ethnic disparities in LDKT among adults on the deceased donor kidney transplantation waiting list and interaction terms were used to test the statistical significance of temporal changes in racial/ethnic differences in receipt of LDKT. The adjusted subhazard ratios are estimates derived from the multivariable competing risk models. Data were categorized into 5-year increments (1995-1999, 2000-2004, 2005-2009, 2010-2014) to allow for an adequate sample size in each analytical cell.

RESULTS

Among 453 162 adult kidney transplantation candidates (mean [SD] age, 50.9 [13.1] years; 39% were women; 48% were white; 30%, black; 16%, Hispanic; and 6%, Asian), 59 516 (13.1%) received LDKT. Overall, there were 39 509 LDKTs among white patients, 8926 among black patients, 8357 among Hispanic patients, and 2724 among Asian patients. In 1995, the cumulative incidence of LDKT at 2 years after appearing on the waiting list was 7.0% among white patients, 3.4% among black patients, 6.8% among Hispanic patients, and 5.1% among Asian patients. In 2014, the cumulative incidence of LDKT was 11.4% among white patients, 2.9% among black patients, 5.9% among Hispanic patients, and 5.6% among Asian patients. From 1995-1999 to 2010-2014, racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of LDKT increased (P < .001 for all statistical interaction terms in adjusted models comparing white patients vs black, Hispanic, and Asian patients). In 1995-1999, compared with receipt of LDKT among white patients, the adjusted subhazard ratio was 0.45 (95% CI, 0.42-0.48) among black patients, 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77-0.88) among Hispanic patients, and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.50-0.63) among Asian patients. In 2010-2014, compared with receipt of LDKT among white patients, the adjusted subhazard ratio was 0.27 (95% CI, 0.26-0.28) among black patients, 0.52 (95% CI, 0.50-0.54) among Hispanic patients, and 0.42 (95% CI, 0.39-0.45) among Asian patients.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among adult first-time kidney transplantation candidates in the United States who were added to the deceased donor kidney transplantation waiting list between 1995 and 2014, disparities in the receipt of live donor kidney transplantation increased from 1995-1999 to 2010-2014. These findings suggest that national strategies for addressing disparities in receipt of live donor kidney transplantation should be revisited.

A Scoping Review for Strategies to Increase Living Kidney Donation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The literature on strategies to increase the number of potential living kidney donors is extensive and has yet to be characterized. Scoping reviews are a novel methodology for systematically assessing a wide breadth of a given body of literature and may be done before conducting a more targeted systematic review.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

We performed a scoping review and summarized the evidence for existing strategies to increase living kidney donation.

RESULTS

Our review identified seven studies that tested interventions using rigorous methods (i.e., randomized, controlled trials) and outcome measures, all of which focused on using education targeted at potential recipients to increase living donation. Of these, two studies that targeted the potential recipients' close social network reported statistically significant results. Other interventions were identified, but their effect was assessed through quasiexperimental or observational study designs.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified an important gap in the literature for evidence-based strategies to increase living kidney donation. From the limited data available, strategies directed at potential recipients and their social networks are the most promising. These results can inform transplant programs that are considering strategies to increase living kidney donation and highlight the need for conduct of high-quality study to increase living donation.

From potential donor to actual donation: does socioeconomic position affect living kidney donation? A systematic review of the evidence

Evidence from Europe, Australia and the United States demonstrates that socioeconomically deprived individuals with advanced chronic kidney disease are less likely to receive a living kidney transplant compared with less deprived individuals. This systematic review focuses on how socioeconomic position (SEP) may influence hypothetical and actual living kidney donors and where appropriate, summarizes the quantitative evidence.In the general population, a higher SEP appears to be associated with an increased 'hypothetical' willingness to be a living kidney donor but with marked heterogeneity in the absolute differences (I = 95.9%, P < 0.001). In a commercial setting, lower SEP motivates people to donate. Outside of this setting, there is no evidence of discordance in the SEP of donors and recipients that would suggest undisclosed financial exchange. There is evidence for a complex interaction between SEP and other variables, such as ethnicity, sex, and the national economic climate. Some evidence suggests that measures to remove financial disincentives to donation are associated with an increase in living donation rates. Future research needs to study how SEP impacts the potential donor population from willingness to donate, progression through donor assessment to actual donor nephrectomy.

Concerns regarding the financial aspects of kidney transplantation: perspectives of pre-transplant patients and their family members

BACKGROUND

African American and non-African American pre-transplant patients' and their families' concerns about the financial costs of kidney transplantation have not been well studied.

METHODS

We conducted structured group interviews among pre-transplant patients (seven African American, five non-African American) and their family members (six African American, five non-African American) to identify their concerns about transplant health insurance coverage, out-of-pocket expenses, and living donor expenses. We reviewed transcribed group audio recordings and identified common discussion themes.

RESULTS

African American and non-African American patients and family members expressed uncertainty about which transplant-related costs were covered by health insurance and wanted information about how to choose insurance policies accordingly. Patients were particularly concerned about the impact of pre-existing illness on securing optimal health insurance, while family members wanted information about non-insurance-based financial resources. Both patients and family members expressed concern about paying for immunosuppressant medications and about gradual loss of insurance benefits after transplantation. Both patients and family members also expressed concern about potential financial hardships for living donors.

CONCLUSION

African American and non-African American pre-transplant patients and families expressed a broad range of concerns about transplant health insurance policies, out-of-pocket expenses, non-insurance-based financial resources, and resources to address donors' financial burden. Efforts to improve education and develop more comprehensive transplant insurance policies are needed to facilitate informed decision-making for potential transplant recipients and donors.

Population income and longitudinal trends in living kidney donation in the United States

Living kidney donation is declining in the United States. We examined longitudinal trends in living donation as a function of median household income and donor relation to assess the effect of financial barriers on donation in a changing economic environment. The zip code-level median household income of all 71,882 living donors was determined by linkage to the 2000 US Census. Longitudinal changes in the rate of donation were determined in income quintiles between 1999 and 2004, when donations were increasing, and between 2005 and 2010, when donations were declining. Rates were adjusted for population differences in age, sex, race, and ESRD rate using multilevel linear regression models. Between 1999 and 2004, the rate of growth in living donation per million population was directly related to income, increasing progressively from the lowest to highest income quintile, with annualized changes of 0.55 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.14 to 1.05) for Q1 and 1.77 (95% CI, 0.66 to 2.77) for Q5 (P<0.05). Between 2005 and 2010, donation declined in Q1, Q2, and Q3; was stable in Q4; and continued to grow in Q5. Longitudinal changes varied by donor relationship, and the association of income with longitudinal changes also varied by donor relationship. In conclusion, changes in living donation in the past decade varied by median household income, resulting in increased disparities in donation between low- and high-income populations. These findings may inform public policies to support living donation during periods of economic volatility.

Removing financial barriers to organ and bone marrow donation: the effect of leave and tax legislation in the U.S

Many U.S. states have passed legislation providing leave to organ and bone marrow donors and/or tax benefits for live and deceased organ and bone marrow donations and to employers of donors. We exploit cross-state variation in the timing of such legislation to analyze its impact on organ donations by living and deceased persons, on measures of the quality of the transplants, and on the number of bone marrow donations. We find that these provisions do not have a significant impact on the quantity of organs donated. The leave laws, however, do have a positive impact on bone marrow donations, and the effect increases with the size of the population of beneficiaries and with the generosity of the legislative provisions. Our results suggest that this legislation works for moderately invasive procedures such as bone marrow donation, but these incentives may be too low for organ donation, which is riskier and more burdensome.

Managing the Psychosocial and Financial Consequences of Living Donation

There has been dramatic growth in the last decade in the literature on psychosocial and financial impacts of living organ donation. With this growth has come recognition that these impacts must be considered when educating prospective donors about the donation process, and when planning donor follow-up care after donation. Our review highlights recent studies that provide new information on the nature of psychosocial and financial outcomes in living donors, with special attention to studies examining unrelated donors (i.e., those with no biologic or longstanding emotional connection to the transplant patient), given that these individuals represent a growing segment of the living donor population. Limitations and gaps in available evidence are noted. We also discuss recent recommendations for post-donation monitoring of donors' psychosocial and financial outcomes, and we consider advances in evidence regarding interventions and prevention strategies to minimize any adverse psychosocial and financial impacts of living donation.

Income of living kidney donors and the income difference between living kidney donors and their recipients in the United States

Disincentives for living kidney donation are common but are poorly understood. We studied 54 483 living donor kidney transplants in the United States between 2000 and 2009, limiting to those with valid zip code data to allow determination of median household income by linkage to the 2000 U.S. Census. We then determined the income and income difference of donors and recipients. The median household income in donors and recipients was $46 334 ±$17 350 and $46 439 ±$17 743, respectively. Donation-related expenses consume ≥ 1 month's income in 76% of donors. The mean ± standard deviation income difference between recipients and donors in transplants involving a wealthier recipient was $22 760 ± 14 792 and in 90% of transplants the difference was <$40 000 dollars. The findings suggest that the capacity for donors to absorb the financial consequences of donation, or of recipients to reimburse allowable expenses, is limited. There were few transplants with a large difference in recipient and donor income, suggesting that the scope and value of any payment between donors and recipients is likely to be small. We conclude that most donors and recipients have similar modest incomes, suggesting that the costs of donation are a significant burden in the majority of living donor transplants.

The impact of tax policies on living organ donations in the United States

In an effort to increase living organ donation, fifteen states passed tax deductions and one a tax credit to help defray potential medical, lodging and wage loss costs between 2004 and 2008. To assess the impact of these policies on living donation rates, we used a differences-in-differences strategy that compares the pre- and postlegislation change in living donations in states that passed legislation against the same change in those states that did not. We found no statistically significant effect of these tax policies on donation rates. Furthermore, we found no evidence of any lagged effects, differential impacts by gender, race or donor relationship, or impacts on deceased donation. Possible hypotheses to explain our findings are: the cash value of the tax deduction may be too low to defray costs faced by donors, lack of public awareness about the existence of these policies, and that states that were proactive enough to pass tax policy laws may have already depleted donor pools with previous interventions.

Understanding and overcoming barriers to living kidney donation among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

In the United States, racial-ethnic minorities experience disproportionately high rates of ESRD, but they are substantially less likely to receive living donor kidney transplants (LDKT) compared with their majority counterparts. Minorities may encounter barriers to LDKT at several steps along the path to receiving it, including consideration, pursuit, completion of LDKT, and the post-LDKT experience. These barriers operate at different levels related to potential recipients and donors, health care providers, health system structures, and communities. In this review, we present a conceptual framework describing various barriers that minorities face along the path to receiving LDKT. We also highlight promising recent and current initiatives to address these barriers, as well as gaps in initiatives, which may guide future interventions to reduce racial-ethnic disparities in LDKT.

Current progress in xenogeneic tolerance

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The present review updates the current status of research regarding the immunologic responses of the recipient following xenotransplantation. Additionally, we present the recent progress with attempts to induce xenogeneic tolerance induction.

RECENT FINDINGS

There continues to be great interest in xenotransplantation. Recently, descriptions of the mechanisms responsible for attempted T-cell xenogeneic tolerance in both large and small animal models have improved xenogeneic graft survivals. Additionally, the cellular signaling mechanisms, such as those involving CD39, CD44, and CD47, are proving to be highly important. Using the mixed chimerism approach to tolerance in xenogeneic model may be encouraging, especially given the recent clarification of the role for macrophage-induced phagocytosis of xenogeneic donor cells.

SUMMARY

Induction of tolerance to xenogeneic antigens has been accomplished only in small animals; however, graft survivals in large animal models continue to improve. Further clarification of both the adaptive and innate immune responses to xenogeneic antigens is required for success to continue.

Right-sided transperitoneal hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: is there an issue with the renal vessels?

OBJECTIVE

Short right renal vessels might complicate kidney transplantation, thus causing traction and difficulties during anastomosis. Single-center prospective comparison of right- and left-sided transperitoneal hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN) is presented.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighty-two living kidney donors underwent HALDN between 2003 and 2008. Right-sided HALDN was performed in 46 living kidney donors. The operative technique of right-sided HALDN was modified to obtain the maximum length of right renal vessels. Outcome data in donors including quality of life as well as graft outcome in recipients were prospectively collected.

RESULTS

All procedures were laparoscopically completed with no conversion. Mean operative time was 127 minutes (vs. 138 minutes in left HALDN, p = 0.08). The mean warm ischemia time was 41 seconds (vs. 39 seconds in left HALDN, p = 0.23). There was no renal artery or vein thrombosis in any of the grafts. Mean blood loss was 81 mL (vs. 92 mL in left HALDN, p = 0.09). Hospital discharge was on an average of 3.6 days postoperative. Delayed graft function occurred in two recipients: one in the left group and the other in the right group. One-year graft survival rate was 95% in the left group versus 96.9% in the right group (p = 0.08). Further, no statistically significant difference in serum levels of creatinine was seen between the groups 1 year after the transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Right HALDN is technically safe and feasible and results in convenient extension of right renal vessels to full length with no increased incidence of vascular thrombosis.

Addressing racial and ethnic disparities in live donor kidney transplantation: priorities for research and intervention

One potential mechanism for reducing racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of kidney transplants is to enhance minorities' pursuit of living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT). Pursuit of LDKT is influenced by patients' personal values, their extended social networks, the health care system, and the community at large. This review discusses research and interventions promoting LDKT, especially for minorities, including improving education for patients, donors, and providers, using LDKT kidneys more efficiently, and reducing surgical and financial barriers to transplant. Future directions to increase awareness of LDKT for more racial/ethnic minorities also are discussed including developing culturally tailored transplant education, clarifying transplant-eligibility practice guidelines, strengthening partnerships between community kidney providers and transplant centers, and conducting general media campaigns and community outreach.

Is living kidney donation the answer to the economic problem of end-stage renal disease?

The escalating number and cost of treating patients with end-stage renal disease is a considerable economic concern for health care systems and societies globally. Compared with dialysis, kidney transplantation leads to improved patient survival and quality of life, as well as cost savings to the health payer. Despite efforts to increase kidney transplantation, the gap between supply and demand continues to grow. In this article we explore the economic consideration of both living and deceased transplantation. Although living kidney donation has several advantages from an economic perspective, efforts to increase both deceased and living donation are required. Strategies to increase kidney donation are underfunded, and even costly strategies are likely to lead to net health care savings. However, demonstration of efficacy of these strategies is required to ensure efficient use of resources.

Disparities in the utilization of live donor renal transplantation

Despite universal payer coverage with Medicare, sociodemographic disparities confound the care of patients with renal failure. We sought to determine whether adults who realize access to kidney transplantation suffer inequities in the utilization of live donor renal transplantation (LDRT). We identified adults undergoing primary renal transplantation in 2004-2006 from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). We modeled receipt of live versus deceased donor renal transplant on multilevel multivariate models that examined recipient, center and UNOS region-specific covariates. Among 41 090 adult recipients identified, 39% underwent LDRT. On multivariate analysis, older recipients (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68 for 50-59 year-olds vs. 18-39 year-old recipients), those of African American ethnicity (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.50-0.59 vs. whites) and of lower socioeconomic status (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.67-0.79 for high school-educated vs. college-educated recipients; OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.71-0.87 for lowest vs. highest income quartile) had lower odds of LDRT. These characteristics accounted for 14.2% of the variation in LDRT, more than recipient clinical variables, transplant center characteristics and UNOS region level variation. We identified significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in the utilization of LDRT. Educational initiatives and dissemination of processes that enable increased utilization of LDRT may address these disparities.