Multivariate analysis of the influence of donor and recipient cytomegalovirus sero-pairing on outcomes in simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation: the South-Eastern Organ Procurement Foundation Experience.

The purpose of this study was to determine if donor (D) and recipient (R) CMV sero-pairing at the time of simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation (SKPT) subsequently influenced outcomes in a large cohort of patients with long-term follow-up. Between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 1999 complete data were available on 723 primary SKPTs performed at South-Eastern Organ Procurement Foundation member institutions. For purposes of this study, four groups were defined: D+/R-, n = 203 (28%); D+/R+, n = 206 (28%); D-/R+, n = 156 (22%); and D-/R-, n = 158 (22%). Patient and graft survival rates for the study groups were computed by Kaplan-Meier estimates and tests of equality of survival curves were performed utilizing both the log-rank and Wilcoxon test statistics. A multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model and logistic regression. A total of 56% of Ds were CMV+ and 50% of Rs were CMV-. D serostatus was not, but R serostatus was, a significant independent risk factor for patient and kidney, but not pancreas, graft survival rates in the uncensored analysis. When examining the CMV D/R groups in both univariate and multivariate fashion, CMV sero-pairing was not an independent risk factor for death, graft loss, or rejection. However, when considering CMV sero-pairing as a binary variable (D-/R- versus all other D/R groups), 6-year patient, kidney, and pancreas graft survival rates were significantly higher in the D-/R- group (P < .05). In conclusion, CMV seronegativity is present in half of diabetic patients at the time of SKPT, and protective CMV seronegative matching confers a long-term survival advantage.