The second report of the Nordic Pediatric Renal Transplantation Registry 1997–2012: More infant recipients and improved graft survivals

The NPRTSG has collected data on pediatric KTx since 1994. The registry archives information from all centers that perform pediatric KTx in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden and has 100% coverage. The first NPRTSG report was published in 1998 and was based on data collected in the 1982─1996 period. The present report provides data on 602 pediatric KTx in the Nordic countries from 1997 to 2012. Comparison of the patient demographics and one‐ and three‐yr graft survivals between the two time cohorts revealed no significant change in the recipient and donor demographics. The number of transplantations increased by approximately 30%, doubling the recipients below the age of two yr. The use of Tac and mycophenolate as primary immunosuppression increased from practically 0% to 50% and 40%, respectively. The one‐ and three‐yr graft survivals improved significantly (p < 0.001), especially among the youngest recipients with transplant from DD. In these patients, the one‐yr survival improved from 70% to 94.6% and the three‐yr graft survival from 60% to 94.6%, respectively. The improved graft survival may be at least partly due to changes in immunosuppression strategies, but also greater experience may also be of importance.