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Transplants from a HIV patient to another. HIV infected person are possible and safe. Study shows that this practice would have a huge impact in the organ transplant world and could prolong the life of HIV infected individuals.
A new study has proved that it can be possible and medically safe to make transplants with organs donated by a HIV infected person to another.
The findings are very important as in the United States there are not sufficient organ donors for all the patients needing a life saving transplant, explained through a news release, doctor Emily Blumberg professor at the University of Pennsylvania.
There are some patients that are in need of an organ who are infected with HIV and unfortunately many of them don’t get to have their transplant. Many of them die during the time they are waiting of the organ or they become to sick to go through the transplant.
Patients infected with HIV that go through a transplant are usually recovering well and it is very important to find new means that would allow them access to a transplant, added Blumberg.
For the experiment, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania analysed the medical records of 578 HIV infected patients who had passed away at HIV clinics from Pennsylvania.Their aim was to establish if their organs could be used for potential transplants.
According to the results, they found almost 400 organs from HIV positive people which could be potentially used for transplants. Scientists involved in the study stated that the results were not based on chance and this number could repeat itself year after year.
Presently there are up to 123,000 individuals in America that are on a organ transplant waiting list but unfortunately a very small percentage of these patients are lucky enough to receive an organ.
Less than 12,000 underwent an organ transplant from January to May 2014, according to statistics.
However, if that list would be augmented with two kidneys and four livers coming every year from HIV infected donors, that would make a huge difference, explained Blumberg.
The main goal of the researchers is to work on improving the organ transplant system, HIV patients included.
In the fall of 2013, there has been released a law named the HIV Organ Policy Equity Act which removed the ban on organs coming from a HIV infected patient and transplanted to another HIV infected person. The law still prohibits organ transplants from HIV infected persons to persons who don’t have HIV.
Ever since the law has approved this procedure, no HIV patient has underwent a transplant with an organ coming from another HIV infected person.
The research was published in the American Journal of Transplantation.
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