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  • Increasing Access to Kidney Transplantation for Black and Asian Patients Through Modification of the Current A2 to B Allocation Policy
Title: Increasing Access to Kidney Transplantation for Black and Asian Patients Through Modification of the Current A2 to B Allocation Policy
Key PointsA2 to B incompatible transplantation is not fully practiced in the country, and further policies should encourage centers to perform more blood incompatible transplants.Centers that currently practice A2 to B incompatible transplants should give priority to blood type B patients who are willing to accept an A organ. This will benefit Asian and Black patients. BackgroundThe rate of A2 to B incompatible (ABO-i) kidney transplant continues to be low despite measures in the new kidney allocation system (KAS) to facilitate such transplants. This study shows how the number of ABO-i transplants could increase if KAS policies were used to their fullest extent through a boost in ABO-i priority points. MethodTransplant outcomes were predicted using the Kidney Pancreas Simulated Allocation Model, preloaded with national data of 2010. We used this simulation to compare KAS with a new intervention in which priority equal to cPRA=100 has been given to blood type B candidates who are willing to accept an A blood type organ. ResultsThe number of Black recipients increased by 375 (from 35% of the total recipient population to 38.7%), the number of blood type B Blacks increased by 65 (from 8% of the total recipient population to 9%), and the number of blood type B Black patients receiving blood type A kidneys increased by 49 (from 2% of the total recipient population to 2.5%). The same change occurred for Asians, particularly blood type B Asians (from 0.54% of the total recipient population to 0.7%). The average wait time notably decreased by 27 days for blood type B Black patients. In the proposed scenario, 263 blood type B Black patients received a blood type A organ (2.5% of the total recipient population) while only 181 (1.1%) of such transplants were performed in 2021. These results signify a considerable opportunity loss of ABO-i transplants for Black patients. ConclusionsIf this policy was universally adopted, we would expect to see an overall increase in A2 to B transplantation, but in reality, not all centers perform ABO-i transplantation. Thus, adopting this policy would incentivize other centers to perform more subtyping of A-type kidneys, and it would increase access to organs for blood type B Asian and Black patients in centers where ABO-i transplantation already takes place.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2123683
PAR ID:
10529212
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
ASN
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Kidney360
Volume:
5
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2641-7650
Page Range / eLocation ID:
88 to 95
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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