We reviewed 14,005 renal grafts with the temporal opportunity for 10-year survival (transplanted 1975 and earlier) and analyzed 10-year actuarial graft survival and the rate of late (3- through 10-year) graft loss as reflected by half-life. The 10-year graft survival for first transplants in HLA-identical siblings was 67% versus 38% for parental donors and 20% for cadaver donors. Factors with substantial influence on 10-year graft survival include transplant number, transfusions (0, 17%; greater than or equal to 1,33%), HLA-A,B mismatches (0, 29%; 1-2, 20%, 3-4, 17%), cold ischemia time (0-3 hours, 32%; 4-6 hours, 27%; 7-12 hours, 21%; greater than 12 hours, 16%), preservation method if CIT is no more than 24 hours (cold storage, 22%; machine, 17%), recipient race (Caucasian, 23%; black, 11%), original disease, recipient age, recipient sex, donor race, and the quality of early graft function (less than or equal to one month). Factors not significantly influencing 10-year graft survival were panel-reactive antibodies, warm ischemia time, preservation method if CIT was more than 24 hours, and donor sex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)