Gender medicine in corneal transplantation: influence of sex mismatch on rejection episodes and graft survival in a prospective cohort of patients

AbstractTo evaluate the effect of donor-to-recipient sex mismatched (male donor corneas to female recipients) on the incidence of rejection episodes and failures up to 1  year after corneal transplantation. Prospective observational cohort study, with donor corneas randomly assigned and surgeons blind to the sex of donor. A unique eye bank retrieved and selected the donor corneas transplanted in 4 ophthalmic units in patients with clinical indication for primary or repeated keratoplasty for optical reasons, perforating or lamellar, either anterior or posterior. Rejection episode defined as any reversible or irreversible endothelial, epithelial or stromal sign, with or without development of corneal edema, and graft failure as a permanently cloudy graft or a r egraft for any reason detected or acknowledged during a postoperative ophthalmic visit at any time up to 1 year after surgery were recorded.156 (28.6%) patients resulted donor-to-recipient gender mismatched for H-Y antigen (male donor to female recipient). During the 12 months follow-up, 83 (14.7% , 95% CI 12.0–17.9) grafts showed at least 1 rejection episode and 17 (3.2%, 95% CI 2.0–5.0) failed after immune rejection, among 54 (9.6%, 95% CI 7.4–12.3) grafts failed for all causes. No significant differences between matched and mismatched patients were found for cumulative incidence of b oth rejection episodes (15.2% and 13.5%) and graft failures following rejection (3.2% and 2.6%), respectively. Multivariable an...
Source: Cell and Tissue Banking - Category: Stem Cells Source Type: research