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Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation – Has KAS Made a Difference?

O. Charnaya1, S. Yu2, A. Goldberg3, J. Garonzik-Wang2, D. Segev2, P. Verghese4

1Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2Transplant Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 3University of Manitoba, Winninpeg, MB, Canada, 4Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL

Meeting: 2021 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: 75

Keywords: Allocation, Kidney, N/A, Pediatric

Topic: Clinical Science » Kidney » Kidney: Pediatrics

Session Information

Session Name: Pediatric Kidney

Session Type: Rapid Fire Oral Abstract

Date: Saturday, June 5, 2021

Session Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm

 Presentation Time: 6:00pm-6:05pm

Location: Virtual

*Purpose: Racial and ethnic minority pediatric transplant candidates have known disparities in access to kidney transplantation. The Kidney Allocation System (KAS), implemented in 2014, was designed in part to alleviate some of these disparities thereby making transplant more equitable. We investigated the effect of KAS on reported disparities.

*Methods: We utilized Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) data to determine differences in new waitlist registrants, deceased donor (DDKT) and living donor kidney transplants (LDKT), HLA mismatch, and allograft survival among pediatric patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.

*Results: Black pediatric patients represented 21.3% of new waitlist registrants pre-KAS and 18.9% post-KAS. Waitlist time increased for pediatric patients of all races post-KAS with the highest increase (131 days) in Asian patients (p < 0.01). The racial distribution of DDKT pre- and post-KAS was unchanged (White 38.4% vs 38.3%, Black 24.5% vs 22.5%, Hispanic 30.6% vs 31.1%, Asian 3.7% vs 4.4%, p = 0.12). Similarly, LDKT racial distribution pre- and post-KAS did not differ (White 68.9% vs 68.7%, Black 8.7% vs 9.3%, Hispanic 16.8% vs 16.9%, Asian 3.5% vs 3.2%, p = 0.97) and still occurs less frequently in Black and Asian patients. The 3-yr graft failure rate is disproportionately worse in Black children compared to other races pre- and post-KAS (White 6.8% vs 5.3%, Black 14% vs 8.7%, Hispanic 8% vs 4.5%, Asian 6.6% vs 6.7%, Other 6.5% vs 2.9%) although there is a trend towards better graft survival in the post-KAS era. Graft survival worsened in Asian children in the post-KAS era (HR 1.052.345.25, p=0.038).

*Conclusions: Racial and ethnic disparities in pediatric ESRD patients have not been ameliorated by KAS. Children of color have longer waitlist time and are more likely to have graft failure. Alarmingly, allograft failure rate increased in Asian patients post-KAS, which merits further evaluation.

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To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Charnaya O, Yu S, Goldberg A, Garonzik-Wang J, Segev D, Verghese P. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation – Has KAS Made a Difference? [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2021; 21 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/racial-and-ethnic-disparities-in-pediatric-kidney-transplantation-has-kas-made-a-difference/. Accessed May 10, 2025.

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