Performing kidney transplantation in people living with acquired human immunodeficiency syndrome

The objective was to present the main considerations about kidney transplantation in people living with HIV. In the last decade, with the advent of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), the evolution of people infected with the Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Virus has changed significantly, with a marked decrease in morbidity and mortality rates in this population. In this sense, the number of HIV-positive people with chronic kidney disease in need of dialysis therapy is progressively increasing. In view of the above, kidney transplantation, which was previously considered an absolute contraindication for such patients, has now been considered an alternative for renal function replacement therapy. Questions about the use of immunosuppressants in this group of patients and their possible action by increasing HIV replication, given the risk of opportunistic infections and the development of neoplasms, are widely discussed. However, clinical experience in this area shows that the use of these drugs for seropositive people seems to be safe, including reports of antiretroviral action of some of the immunosuppressive drugs. There are currently few reports of transplants in this population. In summary, data from the relevant scientific literature suggest that kidney transplantation, following patient selection criteria, appears to be a safe alternative as renal replacement therapy in HIV-positive patients.