Application of artificial neural network to predict graft survival after kidney transplantation: Reports of 22 years follow up of 316 patients in Isfahan

Kidney transplantation had been evaluated in some researches in Iran mainly with clinical approach. In this research we evaluated graft survival in kidney recipients and factors impacting on survival rate. Artificial neural networks have a good ability in modeling complex relationships, so we used this ability to demonstrate a model for prediction of 5yr graft survival after kidney transplantation. This retrospective study was done on 316 kidney transplants from 1984 through 2006 in Isfahan. Graft survival was calculated by Kaplan-meire method. Cox regression and artificial neural