Kidney Function in Long-Term Pediatric Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Following Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

Renal dysfunction may occur in survivors of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The renal function of children who have survived 5 to 10 years after BMT has not been reported. Bone marrow transplantation was performed in 55 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia less than 18 years of age at the University of Florida between September 1983 and October 1992. All received a uniform conditioning regimen of high-dose cystosine arabinoside and fractionated total body irradiation. Twenty-three are currently surviving. The survival average period following transplantation is 79 ± 6.6 (SD) months. The longest survival is 129 months after BMT. We retrospectively examined data evaluating kidney function prior to transplantation, within 150 days after transplantation, and at each child's most recent clinic visit (1.7 to 10 years after transplantation). We were able to collect follow-up data regarding renal function for 17 survivors. Two children (11 %) have renal dysfunction in the form of hypertension, glucosuria, and hematuria. One of them had acute renal insufficiency during the first 100 days following BMT. An unexpected finding was the presence of hyperfiltration in 10 patients. In conclusion, in this homogeneous group of children, allogeneic BMT did not lead to significant long-term renal dysfunction.