Contributions of the Transplant Registry: The 2006 Annual Report of the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies (NAPRTCS)

This summary of the NAPRTCS 2006 Annual Report of the Transplant Registry highlights the significant impact the registry has had in advancing knowledge in pediatric renal transplantation worldwide. This cooperative group has collected clinical information on children undergoing a renal transplantation since 1987 and now includes over 150 participating medical centers in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Currently, the NAPRTCS transplant registry includes information on 9837 renal transplants in 8990 patients (NAPRTCS 2006 Annual Report). Since the first data analysis in 1989, NAPRTCS reports have documented marked improvements in outcome after renal transplantation in addition to identifying factors associated with both favorable and poor outcomes. The registry has served to document and influence practice patterns, clinical outcomes, and changing trends in renal transplantation.