Trends in kidney transplantation rate across Europe: study from the ERA Registry

• Published in: Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 1528 - 1539
• Main Authors: Boenink, Rianne, Kramer, Anneke, Tuinhout, Rosalie E, Savoye, Emilie, Åsberg, Anders, Idrizi, Alma, Kerschbaum, Julia, Ziedina, Ieva, Ziginskiene, Edita, Farrugia, Emanuel, Garneata, Liliana, Zakharova, Elena V, Bell, Samira, Arnol, Miha, Segelmark, Mårten, Ioannou, Kyriakos, Hommel, Kristine, Rosenberg-Ots, Mai, Vazelov, Evgueniy, Helve, Jaakko, Mihály, Sándor, Pálsson, Runólfur, Nordio, Maurizio, Gjorgjievski, Nikola, de Vries, Aiko P J, Seyahi, Nurhan, Magadi, Winnie A, Resić, Halima, Kalachyk, Aleh, Rahmel, Axel O, Galvão, Ana A, Naumovic, Radomir, Lundgren, Torbjörn, Arici, Mustafa, de Meester, Johan M, Ortiz, Alberto, Jager, Kitty J, Stel, Vianda S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 31-05-2023
• Subjects: Clinical Medicine; Europe; Europe - epidemiology; Humans; Kidney; Kidney Transplantation; Klinisk medicin; Living Donors; Medical and Health Sciences; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Original; Registries; trends; Urologi och njurmedicin; Urology and Nephrology; Europe; Europe; trends; kidney transplantation
• ISSN: 0931-0509; 1460-2385; 1460-2385
• DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfac333

ABSTRACT
Background
The aim of this study was to identify trends in total, deceased donor (DD) and living donor (LD) kidney transplantation (KT) rates in European countries.
Methods
The European Renal Association (ERA) Registry and the Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT) databases were used to obtain the number of KTs in individual European countries between 2010 and 2018. General population counts were obtained from Eurostat or the national bureaus of statistics. The KT rate per million population (p.m.p.) and the average annual percentage change (APC) were calculated.
Results
The total KT rate in the 40 participating countries increased with 1.9% annually  [95%  confidence  interval  (CI) 1.5, 2.2] from 29.6 p.m.p. in 2010 to 34.7 p.m.p. in 2018, reflecting an increase of 3.4 p.m.p. in the DD-KT rate (from 21.6 p.m.p. to 25.0 p.m.p.; APC 1.9%; 95% CI 1.3, 2.4) and of 1.5 p.m.p. in the LD-KT rate (from 8.1 p.m.p. to 9.6 p.m.p.; APC 1.6%; 95% CI 1.0, 2.3). The trends in KT rate varied widely across European countries. An East–West gradient was observed for DD-KT rate, with Western European countries performing more KTs. In addition, most countries performed fewer LD-KTs. In 2018, Spain had the highest DD-KT rate (64.6 p.m.p.) and Turkey the highest LD-KT rate (37.0 p.m.p.).
Conclusions
The total KT rate increased due to a rise in the KT rate from DDs and to a lesser extent from LDs, with large differences between individual European countries.
Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract