Outcomes of renal transplantation in recipients with Wegener’s granulomatosis

Shen J, Gill J, Shangguan M, Sampaio MS., Bunnapradist S. Outcomes of renal transplantation in recipients with Wegener’s granulomatosis.
Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 380–387. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) is the leading cause of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis‐induced end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). In this study, we compared transplant outcomes between recipients with ESRD caused by WG to recipients with ESRD secondary to other causes. Using OPTN/UNOS data from 1996 to 2007, 919 recipients with WG were identified. Post‐transplant outcomes included rates of delayed graft function, acute rejection within one‐yr post‐transplant, overall and death‐censored graft survival, and patient survival and were compared between recipients with ESRD secondary to WG versus ESRD from other causes. Recipients with ESRD because of WG had superior unadjusted and adjusted rates of graft loss, patient death, and functional graft loss (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.711, 0.631, and 0.625 respectively, p < 0.001). When we compared the WG cohort to a non‐WG, non‐diabetic population, the HR for graft loss was still significant, but patient death and death‐censored graft loss were not. Subgroup analysis of recipients aged over 60 confirmed that WG recipients had better unadjusted outcomes. This study supports the notion that renal transplantation is an effective treatment option for patients with ESRD secondary to WG. They fare similarly, if not better, than other patients.     

Association of prevalent vascular disease with allograft failure and mortality in live‐donor kidney transplant recipients – a retrospective cohort study

Limited data exist regarding the impact of prevalent vascular disease after live‐donor kidney transplantation. We aimed to determine the associations between the number of prevalent vascular diseases, allograft, and patient outcomes following live‐donor transplantation. This cohort study used data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry. Rates between recipients of live‐donor kidney transplants ± prevalent vascular disease prior to transplantation were calculated. The associations between vascular disease, allograft failure, and all‐cause mortality were assessed using Cox regression modeling. Kaplan–Meier proportions were used to calculate all‐cause mortality and death with a function graft stratified by vascular disease burden. Of 4742 live‐donor recipients, 428 (9%) and 84 (2%) had prevalent vascular disease at 1 and ≥2 sites, respectively. Compared to recipients without vascular disease, the respective adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for patients with vascular disease at 1 and ≥2 sites were 1.78 (1.41–2.25) and 3.02 (2.03–4.50) for all‐cause mortality; and 1.54 (1.26–1.88) and 2.28 (1.54–3.38) for allograft failure. All‐cause mortality in recipients with vascular disease at 0, 1 and ≥2 sites was 0.028 (0.025, 0.031), 0.090 (0.073, 0.106) and 0.247 (0.196, 0.282) over the first 5‐year post‐transplant. There was an incremental association between the number of prevalent vascular disease sites and risk of allograft failure and all‐cause mortality in live‐donor kidney transplant recipients.     

Predisposing Factors of Diminished Survival in Simultaneous Liver/Kidney Transplantation

Since the adoption of the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease, simultaneous liver/kidney transplants (SLKT) have substantially increased. Recently, unfavorable outcomes have been reported yet contributing factors remain unclear. We retrospectively reviewed 74 consecutive adult SLKT performed at our center from 2000 to 2010 and compared with kidney transplant alone (KTA, N = 544). In SLKT, patient and death‐censored kidney graft survival rates were 64 ± 6% and 81 ± 5% at 5 years, respectively (median follow‐up, 47 months). Multivariable analyses revealed three independent risk factors affecting patient survival: hepatitis C virus positive (HCV+, hazard ratio [HR] 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–7.9), panel reactive antibody (PRA) > 20% (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.1–7.2) and female donor gender (HR 2.9, 95% CI 1.1–7.9). For death‐censored kidney graft survival, delayed graft function was the strongest negative predictor (HR 8.3, 95% CI 2.5–27.9), followed by HCV+ and PRA > 20%. The adjusted risk of death‐censored kidney graft loss in HCV+ SLKT patients was 5.8 (95% CI 1.6–21.6) compared with HCV+ KTA (p = 0.008). Recurrent HCV within 1 year after SLKT correlated with early kidney graft failure (p = 0.004). Careful donor/recipient selection and innovative approaches for HCV+ SLKT patients are critical to further improve long‐term outcomes.     

Associations of Pretransplant Serum Albumin with Post‐Transplant Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients

The association between pretransplant serum albumin concentration and post‐transplant outcomes in kidney transplant recipients is unclear. We hypothesized that in transplant‐waitlisted hemodialysis patients, lower serum albumin concentrations are associated with worse post‐transplant outcomes. Linking the 5‐year patient data of a large dialysis organization (DaVita) to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we identified 8961 hemodialysis patients who underwent first kidney transplantation. Mortality or graft failure and delayed graft function (DGF) risks were estimated by Cox regression (hazard ratio [HR]) and logistic regression (Odds ratio [OR]), respectively. Patients were 48 ± 13 years old and included 37% women and 27% diabetics. The higher pretransplant serum albumin was associated with lower mortality, graft failure and DGF risk even after multivariate adjustment for case‐mix, malnutrition–inflammation complex and transplant related variable. Every 0.2 g/dL higher pretransplant serum albumin concentration was associated with 13% lower all‐cause mortality (HR = 0.87 [95% confidence interval: 0.82–0.93]), 17% lower cardiovascular mortality (HR = 0.83[0.74–0.93]), 7% lower combined risk of death or graft failure (HR = 0.93[0.89–0.97]) and 4% lower DGF risk (OR = 0.96[0.93–0.99]). Hence, lower pretransplant serum albumin level is associated with worse post‐transplant outcomes. Clinical trials to examine interventions to improve nutritional status in transplant‐waitlisted hemodialysis patients and their impacts on post‐transplant outcomes are indicated.     

Prolonged Ischemic Time,Delayed Graft Function,and Graft and Patient Outcomes in Live Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients

The association between prolonged cold ischemic time (CIT) and graft and patient outcomes in live donor kidney transplant recipients remains unclear. The aims of this study were to examine the association of CIT with delayed graft function and graft loss in live donor kidney transplant recipients and those who participated in the Australian Paired Kidney Exchange program using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) registry. Of 3717 live donor transplant recipients between 1997 and 2012 who were followed for a median of 6.6 years (25 977 person‐years), 224 (25%) experienced CIT >4–8 h. Donor age was an effect modifier between CIT and graft outcomes. In recipients who received kidneys from older donors aged >50 years, every hour of increase in CIT was associated with adjusted odds of 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–1.53, p = 0.007) for delayed graft function, whereas CIT >4–8 h was associated with adjusted hazards of 1.93 (95% CI 1.21–3.09, p = 0.006) and 1.91 (95% CI 1.05–3.49, p = 0.035) for overall and death‐censored graft loss, respectively, compared with CIT of 1–2 h. Attempts to reduce CIT in live donor kidney transplants involving older donor kidneys may lead to improvement of graft outcomes.     

Outcomes After Kidney Transplantation of Patients Previously Diagnosed With Atrial Fibrillation

Little is known about the prevalence and outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) who receive a kidney transplant. We identified all patients who had >1 year of uninterrupted Medicare A+B coverage before receiving their first kidney transplant (1997–2009). The presence of pretransplant AF was ascertained from diagnosis codes in Medicare physician claims. We studied the posttransplant outcomes of death, all‐cause graft failure, death‐censored graft failure and stroke using multivariable Cox regression. Of 62 706 eligible first kidney transplant recipients studied, 3794 (6.4%) were diagnosed with AF prior to kidney transplant. Over a mean follow up of 4.9 years, 40.6% of AF patients and 24.9% without AF died. All‐cause and death‐censored graft failure were 46.8% and 16.5%, respectively, in the AF group and 36.4% and 19.5%, respectively, in those without AF. Ischemic stroke occurred in 2.8% of patients with and 1.6% of patients without AF. In patients with AF, multivariable‐adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for death, graft failure, death‐censored graft failure and ischemic stroke were 1.46 (1.38–1.54), 1.41 (1.34–1.48), 1.26 (1.15–1.37) and 1.36 (1.10–1.68), respectively. Pre‐existing AF is associated with poor posttransplant outcomes. Special attention should be paid to AF in pretransplant evaluation, counseling and risk stratification of kidney transplant candidates.     

Antidepressant medication use before and after kidney transplant: implications for outcomes – a retrospective study

We examined a novel database wherein national US transplant registry identifiers were linked to records from a large pharmaceutical claims warehouse (2008–2015) to characterize antidepressant use before and after kidney transplantation, and associations [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 95% CI] with death and graft failure. Among 72 054 recipients, 12.6% filled antidepressant medications in the year before transplant, and use was more common among women and patients who were white, unemployed, and had limited functional status. Pre‐transplant antidepressant use was associated with 39% higher 1‐year mortality (aHR 1.39, 95% CI 1.18–1.64) and 15% higher all‐cause graft loss risk (aHR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.30). More than 50% of patients who filled antidepressants pre‐transplant continued fill post‐transplant. Antidepressant use in the first year after transplant was associated with twofold higher risk of death (aHR 1.94, 95% CI 1.60–2.35), 38% higher risk of death‐censored graft failure, and 61% higher risk of all‐cause graft failure in the subsequent year. Pre‐listing antidepressant use was also associated with increased mortality, but transplantation conferred a survival benefit regardless of prelisting antidepressant use status. While associations may in part reflect underlying behaviors or comorbidities, kidney transplant candidates and recipients treated with antidepressant medications should be monitored and supported to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes.     

Pre‐transplant dialysis modality does not influence short‐ or long‐term outcome in kidney transplant recipients: analysis of paired kidneys from the same deceased donor

Previous studies have reported contradictory results regarding the effect of pre‐transplant dialysis modality on the outcomes after kidney transplantation (KT). To minimize the confounding effect of donor‐related variables, we performed a donor‐matched retrospective comparison of 160 patients that received only one modality of pre‐transplant dialysis (peritoneal dialysis [PD] and hemodialysis [HD] in 80 patients each) and that subsequently underwent KT at our center between January 1990 and December 2007. Cox regression models were used to evaluate the association between pre‐transplant dialysis modality and primary study outcomes (death‐censored graft survival and patient survival). To control for imbalances in recipient‐related baseline characteristics, we performed additional adjustments for the propensity score (PS) for receiving pre‐transplant PD (versus HD). There were no significant differences according to pre‐transplant dialysis modality in death‐censored graft survival (PS‐adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.65; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.25–1.68) or patient survival (aHR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.13–2.68). There were no differences in 10‐year graft function or in the incidence of post‐transplant complications either, except for a higher risk of lymphocele in patients undergoing PD (odds ratio: 4.31; 95% CI: 1.15–16.21). In conclusion, pre‐transplant dialysis modality in KT recipients does not impact short‐ or long‐term graft outcomes or patient survival.     

The Impact of Anastomosis Time During Kidney Transplantation on Graft Loss: A Eurotransplant Cohort Study

Recent studies raised the concern that warm ischemia during completion of vascular anastomoses in kidney implantation harms the transplant, but its precise impact on outcome and its interaction with other risk factors remain to be established. We investigated the relationship between anastomosis time and graft survival at 5 years after transplantation in 13 964 recipients of deceased donor solitary kidney transplants in the Eurotransplant region. Anastomosis time was independently associated with graft loss after adjusting for other risk factors (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.10 for every 10‐min increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.14; p < 0.0001), whereas it did not influence recipient survival (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.97–1.02). Kidneys from donation after circulatory death (DCD) were less tolerant of prolonged anastomosis time than kidneys from donation after brain death (p = 0.02 for interaction). The additive effect of anastomosis time with donor warm ischemia time (WIT) explains this observation because DCD status was no longer associated with graft survival when adjusted for this summed WIT, and there was no interaction between DCD status and summed WIT. Time to create the vascular anastomoses in kidney transplantation is associated with inferior transplant outcome, especially in recipients of DCD kidneys.     

Cyclosporine versus Tacrolimus Treated Liver Transplant Recipients with Chronic Hepatitis C: Outcomes Analysis of the UNOS/OPTN Database

Recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a problematic cause of morbidity and mortality for liver transplant patients. Immunosuppression including calcineurin‐inhibitors has been implicated in the acceleration of recurrent HCV. Recent studies suggest that outcomes may be better with cyclosporine (CSA‐ME) compared to tacrolimus (TAC), but the data are inconclusive. We retrospectively analyzed data received from the United Network for Organ Sharing on 8809 chronic HCV liver transplant recipients receiving either cyclosporine microemulsion (CSA‐ME) or tacrolimus (TAC) as maintenance immunosuppression prior to discharge. We analyzed patient death, graft failure, failure due recurrent disease and acute cellular rejection (ACR) for CSA‐ME versus TAC treated patients. Three‐year unadjusted patient and graft survival rates were 76.8% and 71.5%, respectively, in the CSA‐ME group versus 79.9% and 75.0% in the TAC group. Propensity score‐adjusted results suggest CSA‐ME treated patients are at increased risk of patient death and graft failure [Hazards ratio (HR) = 1.17; 95% CI = 1.01–1.36 and HR = 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04–1.35, respectively] and biopsy‐confirmed AR (HR = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.54–2.67) compared to TAC treated patients. These results provide evidence to reconsider the targeted administration of CSA‐ME to HCV‐infected liver transplant recipients.     

Clinical factors associated with graft fibrosis in kidney-transplant recipients on steroid-avoidance immunosuppression

Abstract: Background: Recent studies have documented good patient and graft outcomes and a low risk of acute rejection with steroid‐avoidance immunosuppression in kidney‐transplant recipients, but the risk of progressive graft fibrosis is not well studied. Methods: All adult primary kidney transplant or combined kidney and pancreas transplant recipients on steroid avoidance immunosuppression were eligible for study. All recipients received induction with antithymocyte globulin or basiliximab. Corticosteroids were stopped after day 4 post‐transplantation. Patients were maintained with tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil. Protocol biopsies were done at reperfusion and at one, four, and 12 months after transplantation. Results: Eighty one‐yr protocol biopsies with adequate specimens were obtained from 132 kidney or kidney–pancreas transplant recipients. Fifteen (19%) of the biopsies showed moderate to severe graft interstitial fibrosis (GIF) (Banff ci score ≥2). Recipients with GIF were older, had lower body mass index, greater human lymphocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch, older donors, serum creatinine ≥1.6 mg/dL at one month, a Banff ci score >0 on one‐month biopsy, BK nephropathy, and interstitial cellular infiltrates on the one‐yr biopsy. In the unadjusted logistic regression analysis, BK nephropathy, serum creatinine ≥1.6 mg/dL at one month, recipient age, Banff ci score >0 on one‐month biopsy, and donor age were the only variables associated with a higher risk of GIF on the one‐year biopsy. In the multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for these variables, BK nephropathy, serum creatinine ≥1.6 mg/dL at one month after transplantation, and recipient age were independently associated with the risk of GIF on the one‐year biopsy. Conclusion: In this small study of primary kidney or combined kidney–pancreas transplant recipients on steroid‐avoidance immunosuppression, we found that 19% had GIF on a one‐year protocol biopsy. BK nephropathy, serum creatinine ≥1.6 mg/dL one month after transplantation, and recipient age correlated with an increased risk for GIF on the one‐yr biopsy.     

History of psychosis and mania,and outcomes after kidney transplantation ‐ a retrospective study

History of psychosis or mania, if uncontrolled, both represent relative contraindications for kidney transplantation. We examined 3680 US veterans who underwent kidney transplantation. The diagnosis of history of psychosis/mania was based on a validated algorithm. Measured confounders were used to create a propensity score‐matched cohort (n = 442). Associations between pretransplantation psychosis/mania and death with functioning graft, all‐cause death, graft loss, and rejection were examined in survival models and logistic regression models. Post‐transplant medication nonadherence was assessed using proportion of days covered (PDC) for tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid in both groups. The mean ± SD age of the cohort at baseline was 61 ± 11 years, 92% were male, and 66% and 27% of patients were white and African‐American, respectively. Compared to patients without history of psychosis/mania, patients with a history of psychosis/mania had similar risk of death with functioning graft [subhazard ratio (SHR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 0.94(0.42–2.09)], all‐cause death [hazard ratio (95% CI): 1.04 (0.51–2.14)], graft loss [SHR (95% CI): 1.07 (0.45–2.57)], and rejection [odds ratio(95% CI): 1.23(0.60–2.53)]. Moreover, there was no difference in immunosuppressive drug PDC in patients with and without history of psychosis/mania (PDC: 76 ± 21% vs. 78 ± 19%, P = 0.529 for tacrolimus; PDC: 78 ± 17% vs. 79 ± 18%, P = 0.666 for mycophenolic acid). After careful selection, pretransplantation psychosis/mania is not associated with adverse outcomes in kidney transplant recipients.     

Multivessel coronary revascularization and outcomes in kidney transplant recipients

Coronary artery disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the kidney transplant population. We compared the long‐term outcomes of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for multivessel coronary disease in a contemporary cohort of US kidney transplant recipients. From the U.S. Renal Data System, we identified all adult kidney transplant patients with ≥6 months of Medicare A+B undergoing first recorded multivessel coronary revascularization from 1997 to 2009. The associations of CABG versus PCI with death and the composite of death or myocardial infarction (MI) were compared using proportional hazards regression. Of the 2272 patients included in the study, 1594 underwent CABG and 678 underwent PCI. The estimated 5‐year survival rate was 55% [95% confidence interval (CI) 53% to 57%] following coronary revascularization, with no significant association between revascularization type and death [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.08; CI 0.94–1.23] or the composite of death or MI (aHR = 1.07; CI 0.96–1.18). Separate propensity score‐matched analyses yielded similar results. In this analysis of kidney transplant recipients undergoing multivessel coronary revascularization, we found no difference between CABG and PCI in terms of survival or the composite of death and MI.     

Long‐term outcome of renal transplantation from octogenarian donors: A multicenter controlled study

To assess whether biopsy‐guided selection of kidneys from very old brain‐dead donors enables more successful transplantations, the authors of this multicenter, observational study compared graft survival between 37 recipients of 1 or 2 histologically evaluated kidneys from donors older than 80 years and 198 reference‐recipients of non–histologically evaluated single grafts from donors aged 60 years and younger (transplantation period: 2006‐2013 at 3 Italian centers). During a median (interquartile range) of 25 (13‐42) months, 2 recipients (5.4%) and 10 reference‐recipients (5.1%) required dialysis (crude and donor age‐ and sex‐adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 1.55 [0.34‐7.12], P = .576 and 1.41 [0.10‐19.54], P = .798, respectively). Shared frailty analyses confirmed similar outcomes in a 1:2 propensity score study comparing recipients with 74 reference‐recipients matched by center, year, donor, and recipient sex and age. Serum creatinine was similar across groups during 84‐month follow‐up. Recipients had remarkably shorter waiting times than did reference‐recipients and matched reference‐recipients (7.5 [4.0‐19.5] vs 36 [19‐56] and 40 [24‐56] months, respectively, P < .0001 for both comparisons). Mean (± SD) kidney donor risk index was 2.57 ± 0.32 in recipients vs 1.09 ± 0.24 and 1.14 ± 0.24 in reference‐recipients and matched reference‐recipients (P < .0001 for both comparisons). Adverse events were similar across groups. Biopsy‐guided allocation of kidneys from octogenarian donors permits further expansion of the donor organ pool and faster access to a kidney transplant, without increasing the risk of premature graft failure.     

Risk of Thyroid Cancer Among Solid Organ Transplant Recipients

Solid organ transplant recipients have an elevated incidence of thyroid cancer. We evaluated a wide range of potential risk factors in a cohort of 229 300 U.S. solid organ transplant recipients linked with 15 stage/regional cancer registries (1987–2012). Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, transplanted organ, year of transplantation, and time since transplantation. Hazard ratios (HRs) for death and/or graft failure were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, transplanted organ, and year of transplantation. After transplantation, 356 thyroid cancers were diagnosed. Thyroid cancer incidence was 2.50‐fold higher in transplant recipients than the general population (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.25–2.77). Among recipients of different organs, kidney recipients had the highest incidence of thyroid cancer (IRR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.03–1.53). Elevated thyroid cancer incidence was associated with cholestatic liver disease/cirrhosis as an indication for liver transplantation (IRR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.09–2.63), hypertensive nephrosclerosis as an indication for kidney transplantation (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.03–1.94), and longer prior dialysis among kidney recipients (5+ vs. <1 year, IRR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.32–2.80; p‐trend <0.01). Posttransplantation diagnosis of thyroid cancer was associated with modestly increased risk of death (HR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.02–1.73). Overall, our results suggest that end‐stage organ disease and longer duration of dialysis may contribute to higher thyroid cancer incidence in transplant recipients.     

High Risk of Graft Failure in Emerging Adult Heart Transplant Recipients

Emerging adulthood (17–24 years) is a period of high risk for graft failure in kidney transplant. Whether a similar association exists in heart transplant recipients is unknown. We sought to estimate the relative hazards of graft failure at different current ages, compared with patients between 20 and 24 years old. We evaluated 11 473 patients recorded in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients who received a first transplant at <40 years old (1988–2013) and had at least 6 months of graft function. Time‐dependent Cox models were used to estimate the association between current age (time‐dependent) and failure risk, adjusted for time since transplant and other potential confounders. Failure was defined as death following graft failure or retransplant; observation was censored at death with graft function. There were 2567 failures. Crude age‐specific graft failure rates were highest in 21–24 year olds (4.2 per 100 person‐years). Compared to individuals with the same time since transplant, 21–24 year olds had significantly higher failure rates than all other age periods except 17–20 years (HR 0.92 [95%CI 0.77, 1.09]) and 25–29 years (0.86 [0.73, 1.03]). Among young first heart transplant recipients, graft failure risks are highest in the period from 17 to 29 years of age.     

High plasma hemopexin activity is an independent risk factor for late graft failure in renal transplant recipients

Chronic low‐grade inflammation is involved in late renal transplant dysfunction. Recent studies suggest a role for hemopexin, an acute phase protein, in kidney damage. We investigated whether hemopexin activity (Hx) predicts graft failure in renal transplant recipients (RTRs). In 557 RTRs with functioning grafts for ≥1 year, Hx was measured in citrate‐plasma. RTRs were divided according to Hx into two groups; A: sextile 1–5 (464 RTRs, 83%) and B: sextile 6 (92 RTRs, 17%). Hx [median (IQR) 11.1 (3.3–19.1) arbitrary units] was measured at 6.0 (2.6–11.5) years post‐transplant. RTRs with high Hx (group B) had significantly higher urinary protein excretion (UP) and diastolic blood pressure than group A, despite significantly more prevalent use of renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system inhibitors. After follow‐up  [4.6 (3.8–5.2) years], incidence of graft failure in group A was 25 (5%) and in group B 14 (15%,P = 0.0009) After adjustment for high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), UP and other potential confounders, Hx remained an independent predictor of graft failure [HR = 2.5 (95% CI 1.2–5.3), P = 0.01]. In conclusion, elevated Hx predicts late graft failure in RTRs, independent of hsCRP and UP. This suggests that Hx measurement, next to measurement of creatinine clearance and UP, could be of value for the identification of RTRs at risk for graft failure.     

Serum phosphate and calcium concentrations are associated with reduced patient survival following kidney transplantation

Moore J, Tomson CRV, Tessa Savage M, Borrows R, Ferro CJ. Serum phosphate and calcium concentrations are associated with reduced patient survival following kidney transplantation.
Clin Transplant 2011: 25: 406–416. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: The impact of disordered mineral and bone metabolism following kidney transplantation is not well defined. We studied the association of serum phosphate and calcium concentrations, and surrogate measures of arterial stiffness (augmentation index: AIx and Timing of the reflected wave: Tr), with long‐term kidney transplant recipient and allograft survival. Prevalent adult renal transplant patients (n = 270) were prospectively studied over a median 88‐month follow‐up. Detailed demographic, clinical and laboratory data, in addition to both peripheral and central non‐invasive blood pressure measurements, were recorded. Higher serum phosphate and calcium levels were associated with increased all‐cause mortality (HR: 1.21; 95% CI 1.09,1.35, p < 0.001 and HR: 1.22; 95% CI 1.01,1.48; p < 0.04, respectively; adjusted Cox model) and death‐uncensored graft loss (p < 0.001 and p = 0.03, respectively). In addition, serum calcium and phosphate were associated with death‐censored graft loss on univariable analysis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively), but did not retain significance on multivariable analysis. AIx and Tr were not associated with mortality or graft loss on multivariable analysis. This is the first report to demonstrate that both higher serum phosphate and calcium levels are associated with increased mortality in kidney transplant recipients. It highlights the need for randomized trials assessing current interventions available for improving disordered mineral–bone metabolism post transplantation.     

Prognostic Significance of 1‐Year Serum Albumin Levels Within the Normal Range After Kidney Transplantation

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with poor outcomes in kidney transplantation (KT). However, what level is optimal in serum albumin is not clear for the long‐term prognosis. To determine whether the long‐term outcomes are different even between the normal ranges of serum albumin after KT, we analyzed data from 404 renal allograft recipients whose 1‐year post‐transplant serum albumin levels were within the normal limits (3.5–5.5 g/dL). During a follow‐up of 122 ± 56 months, 97 graft losses, 20 patient deaths, and 50 cardiovascular (CV) events occurred. Based on 1‐year serum albumin levels, the patients were divided into high normal (≥4.6 g/dL, n = 209) and low normal (<4.6 g/dL, n = 195) groups. Kaplan–Meier analyses revealed that the low normal group had poorer allograft survival (P = 0.01), patient survival (P < 0.001), and CV event‐free survival (P < 0.001) than the high normal group. Cox regression analysis confirmed that 1‐year serum albumin was inversely associated with the risk of graft loss (hazard ratio [HR] 0.414, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.200–0.856), patient death (HR 0.097, 95% CI 0.019–0.484), and CV events (HR 0.228, 95% CI 0.074–0.702). In conclusion, a relatively low 1‐year post‐transplant serum albumin level within the normal limits (<4.6 g/dL) significantly predicts poor long‐term outcomes.     

Transplantation with pancreas after living donor kidney vs. living donor kidney alone in type 1 diabetes mellitus recipients*

Sampaio MS, Poommipanit N, Cho YW, Shah T, Bunnapradist S. Transplantation with pancreas after living donor kidney vs. living donor kidney alone in type 1 diabetes mellitus recipients.
Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 812–820. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: Living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) in type 1 diabetic recipients (T1DM) may be followed by a pancreas after living donor kidney (PALK). The impact of the PALK is largely unknown. Adult T1DM living donor kidney recipients (1997–2007) listed for pancreas transplantation were divided into those who subsequently received pancreas transplantation and those who did not (living donor kidney transplant alone [LDKA]). Outcomes were compared. A sub‐analysis was performed in recipients with at least one yr of kidney graft survival and limiting PALK to those who underwent pancreas transplantation in the first year. Of 4554 recipients, 23% received PALK. PALK had more favorable baseline characteristics. At the end of eight yr, we found significantly superior patient (85% vs. 75%) and kidney graft survival (75% vs. 62%) in PALK group. The adjusted hazard ratios of PALK (LDKA as reference) were 0.65 (95%CI: 0.52–0.81) for death and 0.63 (0.54–0.76) for renal graft loss. In sub‐group analysis, there was a trend toward decreased death in PALK (HR = 0.78: 0.57–1.07). In conclusion, only 23% of those wait‐listed received a pancreas with patient and kidney survival superior to LDKA. Pancreas transplant in the first year after kidney transplant was associated with a trend toward better long‐term patient survival.