We analyzed 118 renal transplants performed from November 1977 through October 1981 to determine the effect of recipient race on graft and patient survival. Fifty-one cadaver and three living related transplants were performed in the black recipients and 41 cadaver and 23 living related transplants in the white recipients. No significant differences existed between the groups in regard to age, incidence of pretransplant nephrectomy or splenectomy, warm ischemia time, perfusion time, panel-reactive alloantibody (PRA) status, or number of pretransplant blood transfusions. The mean HLA-A and -B locus match was significantly less in black cadaver recipients and the incidence of malignant hypertension was significantly greater in black recipients. The one-year graft survival rate was 54.9% for black cadaver recipients and 48.7% for white cadaver recipients with a corresponding patient survival rate of 86.2% and 85.3%. The one-year graft survival rate for living-related recipients was 100% for blacks and 73.9% for whites with a corresponding patient survival rate of 100% and 86.9%. These results were not significantly different. When the recipients were matched for age, pretransplant transfusions, HLA-A and -B locus matching, and PRA status, no difference in transplant outcome was identified. We concluded that recipient race is not of prognostic significance in determining the outcome of either cadaver or living related donor transplantation.