Donor Risk Factors for Graft Failure in the Cornea Donor Study

Abstract

Purpose To assess the relationship between donor factors and 5-year corneal graft survival in the Cornea Donor Study (CDS). Methods Donor corneas met criteria established by the Eye Bank Association of America, had an endothelial cell density of 2300–3300/mm2, and were determined to be of good to excellent quality by the eye banks. Donor corneas were assigned using a random approach and surgeons were masked to information about the donor cornea including donor age. Surgery and post-operative care were performed according to the surgeons’ usual routines and subjects were followed for five years. Donor and donor cornea factors were evaluated for their association with graft failure, which was defined as a regraft or a cloudy cornea that was sufficiently opaque to compromise vision for a minimum of three consecutive months. Results Graft failure was not significantly associated with the type of tissue retrieval (enucleation versus in situ), processing factors, timing of use of the cornea, or to characteristics of the donor or the donor cornea. Adjusting for donor age did not affect the results. Conclusion Donor and donor cornea characteristics do not impact graft survival rates for corneas comparable in quality to those used in this study.

Risk Factors for Graft Failure After Penetrating Keratoplasty: 5-Year Follow-Up From the Corneal Transplant Epidemiological Study

“…The same result was recently demonstrated by the Cornea Donor Study in patients with Fuchs dystrophy and pseudophakic or aphakic corneal edema. 23 In our opinion, the results from CORTES confirm the validity of the standards for donor screening, tissue processing, and evaluation of corneas suitable for keratoplasty, currently applied by the Veneto Eye Bank Foundation.…”

The Suitability of Corneas Stored by Organ Culture for Penetrating Keratoplasty and Influence of Donor and Recipient Factors on 5-Year Graft Survival

“…The Cornea Donor Study found no influence of sex on risk of PK failure at 5 years, but corneas from female donors did have higher postoperative ECD. 24,29 Whether the sex effect we observed is related to expression of the H-Y antigen, which could be a target for allograft rejection where corneas from male donors are transplanted into female recipients, is a moot point. 30 Although further analysis did not show any of the specific donor-recipient sex combinations to be significant, this observation does warrant further investigation.…”

“…A lack of effect of donor age and donor ECD on 5-year graft survival was also found in the Cornea Donor Study. [20][21][22]24 In the Table 6 for Cox regression model).…”

Clinical presentation, risk factors and treatment outcomes of first allograft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty in early and late postoperative period

“…16 Recently compiled data from the Cornea Donor Study has also shown that donor characteristics, such as donor age, ABO compatibility, method of tissue retrieval, processing factors, and timing of use of the cornea, are unrelated to the risk of graft failure. [17][18][19] Early vs late allograft rejection after penetrating keratoplasty C Perera et al…”