title: Impact of pregnancy on the outcome of kidney transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is still controversy over whether pregnancy adversely affects renal transplantation outcomes. We, thus, compared two groups of kidney transplant recipients in terms of patient survival and allograft function: those who did versus did not conceive posttransplant.
  
  
  METHODS
  This historical cohort study conducted between 1996 and 2002, divided female kidney transplant recipients of reproductive age into group I (n=86, at least one posttransplant pregnancy) and group II (n=125, no posttransplant pregnancy). The two groups were matched for age, cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), treatment protocol, and first creatinine (Cr). All patients received a first transplant and all had a Cr less than 1.5 mg/dL on entry into the study. The subjects were followed for 45.4 +/- 22.0 and 46.3 +/- 19.8 months, respectively (P>.05). Five-year patient and graft survivals and Cr were considered to be the main outcome measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) age in groups I and II was 26.6 +/- 6.6 and 26.9 +/- 8.1 years, respectively (P>.05). Five-year patient and graft survival rates were not significantly different between the study groups. Of the women in group 1, only 9 (10.5%) subjects displayed elevated serum Cr levels (>1.5 mg/dL) at the end of follow-up, while the serum Cr levels in 35 (28%) group II patients were above 1.5 mg/dL (P=.024).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicates pregnancy did not seem to adversely affect patient and graft survival among kidney transplant recipients. Renal transplantation in stable women of childbearing age should not be a contraindication to pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and Urology Research Center (NURC), Baqiyatallah Medical Sciences University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kashanizadeh
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nemati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sharifi-Bonab
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moghani-Lankarani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghazizadeh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Einollahi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lessan-Pezeshki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khedmat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000145:classification; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000453:epidemiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000453:epidemiology