Renal insufficiency after liver transplantation in the MELD era compared to the pre-MELD era.
Because the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) system for liver allocation gives priority to patients with a higher creatinine, and because pre-transplant renal function is one determinant of post-transplant renal function, this study compares the burden of renal insufficiency in the pre-MELD and MELD eras. Two hundred and eleven patients, at our institution, transplanted in the pre-MELD era, were compared to 143 in the MELD era. The GFR (mL/min/1.73 m2) was significantly higher in the MELD cohort than the pre-MELD cohort at time of transplant, discharge, and 12 months post-transplant (95.5 vs. 85.3, p = 0.039; 90.4 vs. 77.4, p = 0.002; 66.8 vs. 60.3, p = 0.026). There was no difference between the two groups in time to renal failure. There was a higher rate of sirolimus use in the MELD era (27% vs. 18%: p = 0.042) and a slightly higher use of kidney-liver transplant in the MELD era (p = 0.056). We did not identify greater renal insufficiency in the MELD era. There was greater renal function in the MELD era at time of transplant, discharge and month 12. Potential explanations include: absence of an increase in renal insufficiency prior to transplant in the MELD era, greater use of renal sparing immunotherapy and growing use of kidney-liver transplant.
Feng
Zhen-Zhou
ZZ
Division of Gastroenterology, Henry Ford Health Systems, Detroit, Michigan 48202, USA.
Tang
Jeffrey
J
Kim
Dean Y
DY
Brown
Kimberly
K
Abouljoud
Marwan
M
Gordon
Stuart
S
Yoshida
Atsushi
A
Huang
Mary Ann
MA
Divine
George
G
Moonka
Dilip Kumar
DK
D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome