title: Acute kidney injury following liver transplantation: definition and outcome.
abstract: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported to vary between 17% and 95% post-orthotopic liver transplantation. This variability may be related to the absence of a uniform definition of AKI in this setting. The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of AKI that is associated with long-term adverse outcome. Furthermore, to determine the best definition (for use in future studies) of AKI not requiring dialysis in post-liver transplant patients, we retrospectively reviewed the effect of 3 definitions of AKI post-orthotopic liver transplantation on renal and patient outcome between 1997 and 2005. We compared patients with AKI to a control group without AKI by each definition. AKI was defined in 3 groups as an acute rise in serum creatinine, from the pretransplant baseline, of >0.5 mg/dL, >1.0 mg/dL, or >50% above baseline to a value above 2 mg/dL. In all groups, the glomerular filtration rate was significantly lower at both 1 and 2 years post-transplant. Patient survival was worse in all groups. Graft survival was worse in all groups. The incidence of AKI was highest in the group with a rise in creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL (78%) and lowest in patients with a rise in creatinine of >50% above 2.0 mg/dL (14%). Even mild AKI, defined as a rise in serum creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL, was associated with reduced patient and graft survival. However, in comparison with the other definitions, the definition of AKI with the greatest impact on patient's outcome post-liver transplant was a rise in serum creatinine of >50% above baseline to >2 mg/dL.
authors.affiliation: Baylor Regional Transplant Institute, Dallas, TX 75246, USA. barriy@dneph.com
authors.forename: Yousri M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Barri
authors.forename: Edmund Q
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Linda W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: Larry B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Melton
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hays
authors.forename: Marlon F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Goran B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Klintmalm
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003404:Creatinine