Chagas seropositive donors in kidney transplantation.

Among 239 kidney transplantations between September 1992 and September 1997, nine recipients' kidneys were obtained from Chagas seropositive donors. All of these patients were treated with benznidazole (5 mg/kg/d) for 14 days starting on day 0. None of them experienced acute Chagas disease or seroconversion even after 10 years follow-up. We concluded that, due to cadaver shortage, donors with positive serology for Chagas disease should not be excluded.