Kidney Transplants for Patients with HIV

People infected with HIV can safely receive kidney transplants, says a study. About 3 in 10 people with HIV develop kidney disease. Until recently, they could not receive kidney transplants. Transplant patients must take drugs that suppress the immune system. HIV-infected people already have a weakened immune system, so transplants were considered risky. The study followed 150 people. Transplant failure rates were two to three times higher than in the general population. But three years after surgery, three-fourths of the transplants were still functioning. The study appears in the Nov 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.