New Delhi: According to a study, HIV-positive patients can also safely receive kidneys from deceased donors who lived with the virus. This was found by a large study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. This could shorten the waiting duration for patients living with HIV and awaiting their turn for an organ transplant. The study looked at 198 kidney transplants that were done across the US and similar results were seen whether or not the organ came from a patient who was HIV-positive or not.
In September this year, the Department of Health and Human Services recommended a change in rules to allow this kind of liver and kidney transplants and it was stated that a final rule would apply to living and deceased donors. If approved, the same may take effect next year onwards. Participants in the study were all HIV-positive and suffering from kidney failure. They agreed to receive a kidney from an HIV-positive or negative deceased donor, whichever was available first. Researchers followed up with them for four years after and compared half of the received organs from HIV-positive donors to those that came from HIV-negative patients.
Researchers found that both groups had high rates of survival and low rates of organ rejection. The virus levels, however, rose in 13 patients in the HIV group and for four in the other group. But most of these were blamed on failure to take HIV medication regularly. This demonstrated a largely high safety rate. In 2010, South African surgeons proved for the first time that the organs of HIV-positive donors were safe for transplant in HIV patients.
Citing the stigma around HIV, patients have largely been discouraged from being part of organ donation drives. However, this study opens avenues for patients to live a better and longer life for as many years as possible. This can help patients living with the disease get better options for organ donation and it can also fast-track the process for them.
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