Survival in HIV-positive transplant recipients compared with transplant candidates and with HIV-negative controls.

Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2016
Authors
Roland, Michelle E; Barin, Burc; Huprikar, Shirish; Murphy, Barbara; Hanto, Douglas W; Blumberg, Emily; Olthoff, Kim; Simon, David; Hardy, William D; Beatty, George; Stock, Peter G; HIVTR Study Team
Secondary
AIDS
Volume
30
Pagination
435-44
Date Published
2016 Jan 28
Keywords
Adult; Cohort Studies; Female; HIV Infections; Humans; kidney transplantation; liver transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; Survival Analysis; Transplant Recipients; Treatment Failure
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of liver and kidney transplantation on survival in HIV-positive transplant candidates and compare outcomes between HIV-positive and negative recipients.

DESIGN: Observational cohort of HIV-positive transplant candidates and recipients and secondary analysis comparing study recipients to HIV-negative national registry controls.

METHODS: We fit proportional hazards models to assess transplantation impact on mortality among recipients and candidates. We compared time to graft failure and death with HIV-negative controls in unmatched, demographic-matched, and risk-adjusted models.

RESULTS: There were 17 (11.3%) and 46 (36.8%) deaths among kidney and liver recipients during a median follow-up of 4.0 and 3.5 years, respectively. Transplantation was associated with survival benefit for HIV-infected liver recipients with model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) greater than or equal 15 [hazard ratio (HR) 0.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05, 0.01; P < 0.0001], but not for MELD less than 15 (HR 0.7; 95% CI 0.3, 1.8; P = 0.43) or for kidney recipients (HR 0.6; 95% CI 0.3, 1.4; P = 0.23). In HIV-positive kidney recipients, unmatched and risk-matched analyses indicated a marginally significant HR for graft loss [1.3 (P = 0.07) and HR 1.4 (P = 0.052)]; no significant increase in risk of death was observed. All models demonstrated a higher relative hazard of graft loss or death in HIV-positive liver recipients; the absolute difference in the proportion of deaths was 6.7% in the risk-matched analysis.

CONCLUSION: Kidney transplantation should be standard of care for well managed HIV-positive patients. Liver transplant in candidates with high MELD confers survival benefit; transplant is a viable option in selected candidates. The increased mortality risk compared with HIV-negative recipients was modest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.Gov; NCT00074386; http://clinicaltrials.gov/.