STEPP: Long Term Outcomes in Transplantation

Stepp Project imageKidney Research UK has come together with Astellas, Roche and Wyeth, with support from both the Renal Association and British Transplantation Society, to investigate ways to extend the life of transplanted organs. Through the STEPP project, five major transplant centres will collect data on the kidney function, health problems and medication of transplant patients, as well as their own reports on their health and quality of life and the impact on their lives’ if their transplant fails. The study will establish an important database, which we believe will lead to an increase in the survival rate of both patient and transplanted organ. Such is the importance of this work that BBC TV marked its launch in May 2005 with a story on the Six O'clock News.


Progress:

The STEPP study started collecting retrospective data on patients with a first renal transplantbetween 1992 and 2002 in January 2006. The prospective questionnaire part of the study began in June 2007 in Oxford, Leeds and Leicester. The start was somewhat delayed in St Helier Hospital (due to NHS R&D) and Guy’s Hospital (due to Staffing issues).

The study is progressing well, with all five transplant centres actively collecting data focussing on five specific cohort years within the 10 span 1992-2002, those being years 1992, 1993,1997 (5yrs), 2001,2002 (10 yrs). By the end of the study, three of the centres will have complete data for all five years, 1 centre with 3 (1992, 1997, 2002), and one with 2 (1992, 2002). It is felt that this will allow a broad, long-term analysis of information over the study period.

All centres remain strongly committed to the study and continue to actively contribute to regular (2 monthly) teleconferences and six monthly face-to-face meetings. Professor Clare Bradley has pro-actively developed the questionnaire series and her team at Royal Holloway provide support for the questionnaire administration. She has reported a good response rate to date and will be commencing initial psychometric analysis. Professor Thompson and Dr Bankart from the University of Leicester take part in monthly data discussions and guide analysis plans.

Further updates are available through the dedicated study website www.stepp.org.uk

"Although the early results of renal transplantation are excellent, there are still some problems in the long-term which need careful addressing. By focusing not only on outcomes but also on other causes of impaired health in transplant patients, the results of the study should give doctors a better understanding of the long-term problems experienced by kidney transplant patients. Astellas, Roche and Wyeth were delighted to have the opportunity of helping to support this very important project.”

Medical Director, Astellas

 

"Little is known about the long-term problems that might follow a kidney transplant, particularly if the patient returns to dialysis or has another transplant. Previous studies have focused on how well each transplant works in the short term, whereas this study, adopting a longer-term view, will collect both retrospective and prospective information on all transplant recipients in five major UK transplant centres (Leicester, London (Guys), Oxford (Churchill), Carshalton (St Helier) and Leeds (St James’).”

Dr James Medcalf, Principal Investigator, Leicester


 

Link to: www.astella-europe.co.uk Link to: www.rocheuk.com Link to: www.wyeth.co.uk Link to: www.renal.org Link to: www.bts.org.uk