title: Chronic renal dysfunction following liver transplantation.
abstract: With most of the immunosuppressive protocols consisting of calcineurin inhibitors (CI), nephrotoxicity has become a major long-term complication often compromising outcome. In a single-center retrospective study, we reviewed 1173 liver transplantations to identify variables indicative for the occurrence of chronic renal dysfunction (CRD) (defined as > or = 1 episode of serum creatinine increase > or = 1.8 mg/dL > or = 2 wk). Chronic renal dysfunction was found in 137 (11.7%) of all transplants [82 (7%) early (after 3-12 months), 55 (4.7%) late-onset (> 12 months)]. Compared to 5-/10-yr survival rates in non-CRD transplants (84/74%) survival was significantly decreased in early (66/46%), but unchanged in late-onset CRD (98/86%). Rates of alcoholic cirrhosis and prior renal dysfunction were significantly increased in patients with CRD. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, only cyclosporine A (CyA) as immunosuppression remained an independent risk factor. No correlations to age, gender, rejection/retransplantation or diabetes were found. Surprisingly, renal function (creatinine) showed no difference between patients on CI monotherapy (FK/CyA) compared to those who had mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) added. In liver transplantation, early onset CRD significantly compromises survival. CyA-based immunosuppression appears to have a stronger impact than FK. The fact that patients with long-term severe chronic renal dysfunction failed to improve under MMF rescue therapy emphasizes the importance of new diagnostic strategies to earlier identify at-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplantation Surgery, Charité, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. volker.schmitz@charite.de
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laudi
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moeckel
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Puhl
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stockmann
authors.forename: Zung Vu
authors.initials: ZV
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kahl
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
mesh_terms: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012008:Recurrence; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D065095:Calcineurin Inhibitors; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003404:Creatinine