Chronic rejection of transplanted organs is one of the foremost issues facing the transplant community, according to a survey developed by the National Kidney Foundation.
Results of the NKF Unmet Medical Needs in Transplantation Survey were reported at the 18th annual meeting of the American Society of Transplantation last month. Of 96 transplant physicians and 77 transplant surgeons who were surveyed, 92% responded that better solutions must be developed to address chronic rejection. Graft dysfunction and nephrotoxicity were two other areas judged to be of critical importance.
The data from the survey reemphasize findings that were reached in April 1998 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Expert Panel on Ethical Issues in Clinical Trials of Transplant Tolerance. "Long-term graft survival is no better today than it was 20 years ago," the panel wrote, recommending the development of new approaches to prevent chronic rejection.
The NKF survey also found that 86% of the respondents agreed that financial barriers such as insurance coverage are the most important reason for patient noncompliance with immunosuppressive therapy. Most of the respondents also said that they considered organ procurement practices, including recruitment and public education, "less than good" and "poor."
The study was conducted by Southeastern Institute of Research and funded by Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories. It is the first phase of a three-year study to address unmet needs in transplantation.
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National Kidney Foundation news release
www.kidney.org/general/news/survey.cfm
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