Machine preservation yielded better early graft function than simple cold storage of cadaver donor kidneys with more than 24 hours of CIT. However, there was no difference in one-year graft survival rates comparing machine and cold storage preservation regardless of CIT. 2. The percentage of kidneys that functioned immediately posttransplant progressively decreased from 65% with up to 5 minutes WIT to 45% with more than 20 minutes WIT. One-year graft survival rates fell from 80% with zero WIT to 72% with more than 20 minutes WIT. There was no clear effect of WIT in regrafted patients. 3. Although CIT had no apparent effect on one-year graft survival, the rate of graft loss after the first year was nearly double for kidneys with more than 48 hours CIT. This long-term effect of CIT was evident whether all patients transplanted since 1976 were considered or only CsA-treated patients. The increase in late graft loss was evident in kidneys stored more than 36 hours if the recipient received CsA.
