Long-term survival.

1. In transplants performed between 1971 and 1986, first cadaver donor grafts had a half-life ranging from 6.6 to 7.5 years in the period after the first year. Second cadaver donor grafts had a half-life of 5.1 to 6.5 years. Parental donor grafts had a half-life of 9.3 to 11.8 years, whereas HLA identical sibling donor transplants had a half-life of 19.1 to 26.5 years. Siblings with no haplotype in common had an average half-life of 8.7 years. 2. Between 1971 and 1984, white recipients had an average half-life of 7.7 years, which increased to 9.3 years in 1985-1986. Black recipients' half-life decreased from 5.4 years in 1975-1976 to 3.5 years in 1985-1986. The reason for this decrease is not apparent. 3. The half-life of transplants of different recipient ages did not vary significantly. The average half-life during this period of study was 7.4 years for those younger than 21 years of age, 8.2 years for recipients 21 to 50 and 6.7 years for those older than 50. 4. In the early data, there was some evidence that the half-life of kidneys with cold ischemia below 13 hours was superior. However, in the latest period (between 1983 and 1986) the average half-life was 7.6 years for CIT below 13 hours, 7.2 years for those with 13 to 24 hours and 6.4 years for more than 24 hours. 5. For patients receiving kidneys with no HLA-A,B mismatches, the average half-life was 10.1 years. Those with A,B mismatches had a half-life of 6.7 years, and for those with no A,B antigens in common, the average half-life was 6 years. 6. In the period after 1981, the average half-life of patients with no A,B,DR mismatches was 9.1 years compared with 6.5 years for those with A,B,DR mismatches and 5.4 years for those with no A,B,DR antigens in common.