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Background: Kidney transplantation represents the method of choice of end stage renal disease., Methods and Results: The program of kidney transplantation was established in 1966 in our centre. In recent years, roughly 200 patients have undergone kidney transplantation annually, and 20-30 of them have received a graft from the living donor. Triple immunosuppressive regimen based on tacrolimus, MMF and steroids is given to majority of patients, in a case of high rejection risk; patients have received the induction protocols with polyclonal or monoclonal antilymphocyte globulins. Acute rejection is not a frequent finding in recent years and has occurred in 15% of cases in the first 3 months, the use of induction immunosuppression has decreased the rejection risk. Valgancyclovir has been used as prophylactic agent to prevent and treat cytomegalovirus infection. The usage of this strategy reduced the incidence of CMV infection below 10%. Kidney transplant recipients suffer from similar comorbidities as other renal patients in the long term, as cardiovascular complications, infections and malignancies. Anemia is a frequent complication in patients with graft dysfunction and erythropoesis stimulating agents have been used in its therapy. The median kidney graft survival is 8 years., Conclusions: Kidney transplantation is associated with better long-term results when compared with dialysis therapy and thus this method should be offered to all of suitable end stage renal disease patients.

Objectives: Rage (receptor for advanced glycation end products) is involved in pathogenesis of many diseases. The aim of the study was to test whether polymorphisms of RAGE gene are associated with the outcome of kidney transplantation., Design and Methods: Four polymorphisms of the RAGE gene (-429T/C, -374T/A, Gly82Ser and 2184A/G) were assessed in 145 renal transplant recipients and their relationship to histological changes in 12 months protocol kidney graft biopsy and renal function was examined., Results: Genotype frequencies of each polymorphism corresponded to expected frequencies according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. No differences between allelic and genotype frequencies among patients with normal histological findings, chronic allograft nephropathy and subclinical rejection were observed., Conclusion: This is the first study on polymorphisms of the RAGE gene in patients with the transplanted kidney. No association of RAGE selected gene polymorphisms with 12-months outcome of renal transplants was shown in study.