Table 1 Search strategies in Medline and Embase electronic databases for sex and gender in transplantation

1. Sex Factors

2. Sex Characteristics

3. ((sex or gender) adj3 (characteristic* or factor* or imbalance* or issue* or specific*)).tw,kf.

4. ((sex or gender) adj3 differenc*).ti,kf.

5. ((sex or gender) adj3 differenc*).ab. /freq = 2

6. or/1-5

7. exp cell transplantation

8. ((cell* or hematopoietic) adj3 transplant*).tw,kf.

9. 7 or 8

10. 6 and 9

11. exp. organ transplantation

12. ((cardiac or heart or hepatic or kidney* or liver or lung or organ or pancrea* or pulmon* or renal) adj3 (graft* or transplant*)).tw,kf.

13. 11 or 12

14. 6 and 13

15. Living Donors

16. Tissue Donors

17. ((cell* or cardiac or heart or hematopoietic or hepatic or kidney* or liver or lung or organ or pancrea* or pulmon* or renal) adj3 (donor* or donation*)).tw,kf.

18. or/15-17

19. 6 and 18

20. 10 or 14 or 19

1. Sex difference

2. ((sex or gender) adj3 (characteristic* or factor* or imbalance* or issue* or specific*)).tw,kw.

3. ((sex or gender) adj3 differenc*).ti,kw.

4. ((sex or gender) adj3 differenc*).ab. /freq = 2

5. or/1-4

6. exp cell transplantation

7. ((cell* or hematopoietic) adj3 transplant*).tw,kw.

8. 6 or 7

9. 5 and 8

10. exp. organ transplantation

11. ((cardiac or heart or hepatic or kidney* or liver or lung or organ or pancrea* or pulmon* or renal) adj3 (graft* or transplant*)).tw,kw.

12. 10 or 11 (

13. 5 and 12

14. living donor

15. kidney donor

16. organ donor

17. unrelated donors

18. ((cell* or cardiac or heart or hematopoietic or hepatic or kidney* or liver or lung or organ or pancrea* or pulmon* or renal) adj3 (donor* or donation*)).tw,kw.

19. or/14-18

20. 5 and 19

21. 9 or 13 or 20