Preservation solutions for transplantation.

Abstract

Eurocollins has almost been abandoned because of the glucose disadvantage. UW is certainly the most used preservation solution for livers, kidneys, and pancreases with excellent clinical and experimental preservation data. UW can certainly be considered the current golden standard solution. However, the disadvantage of high viscosity, high price, uneasy handling of many 1-L bags, and the fact that the radical scavenger glutathion cannot be detected in the bags by chemical analysis (presumably due to diffusion) encourage competitors to produce new compounds with better cost to effect ratios. HTK has a firm place in cardiac preservation; by demonstration of equal safety and efficacy in preserving livers and kidneys, at least in the middle and lower range of cold ischemia time, HTK will be sued more frequently, particularly with the consideration of lower price and more easy handling aspects. The suggested high volume perfusion is not really necessary, calculation based on a total volume of 10 L for a multiorgan donor show significant cost reductions. Celsior is current only used for cardiac preservation. Beyond all aspects of conservation and preservation potencies of all these fluids, it must not be forgotten that cold ischemia itself is a risk factor for organ function. Therefore, cold ischemia time should be kept as short as possible. People are willing to accept 24 hours or more cold ischemia time in kidney transplantation because organ failure can be treated by dialysis. In other organs, where immediate organ function is essential, like in clinical heart transplantation, cold ischemia is hardly ever extended beyond 6 hours. Why are hearts and kidneys so different? Very likely, there is no difference, and the outstanding results in living unrelated kidney transplants is mostly due to short cold ischemia time.