Cinacalcet treatment for stable kidney transplantation patients with hypercalcemia due to persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism: a long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Cinacalcet is an effective treatment for hypercalcemia due to persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in patients who have undergone kidney transplantation (KT). Few data are available about their long-term follow-up. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of cinacalcet in functioning stable KT subjects with hypercalcemia secondary to persistent HPT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients (6 men) with a stable KT showed persistent hypercalcemia (>12 months) secondary to HPT (parathyroid hormone by radioimmunoassay [iPTH] > 150 pg/mL). The mean age was 54 ± 13 years. Time after KT to beginning cinacalcet treatment was 36.5 ± 37.9 (range 12 to 172) months. Initial cinacalcet doses were 30 mg/d. Median follow-up was 53 ± 7.4 months (range 42 to 60 months). We determined serum calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, iPTH, creatinine, and immunosuppressant concentrations at baseline as well as 3, 6, and 12 months and after every 6 months thereafter. RESULTS: Initial serum calcium was 11 ± 0.65 mg/dL and mean calcium during treatment, 10.25 ± 0.81 mg/dL (P < .001). Initial serum phosphorus was 2.8 ± 0.58 mg/dL and mean value serum phosphorus during the treatment period, 3.13 ± 0.6 mg/dL (P = 0.015). Initial iPTH was 260 ± 132 pg/mL and during the treatment period; 237 ± 131 pg/mL (P = ns). There was no change in renal function nor in immunosuppressant blood levels. Doses of cinacalcet at the end of the follow-up were 40.4 ± 18.9 mg/d. CONCLUSION: Cinacalcet was effective for long-term control of hypercalcemia related to persistent HPT for patients with stable KT.

Cinacalcet de novo in persistent hypercalcemia after kidney transplantation secondary to hyperparathyroidism: long-term follow-up and effect of withdrawal.

BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism that persists after kidney transplantation (KT), is the main cause of hypercalcemia. Cinacalcet has been used to control hypercalcemia in KT patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of de novo cinacalcet in KT patients with hypercalcemia and the evolution after its withdrawal. METHODS: This observational study included 41 KT patients (17 men) with persistent hypercalcemia (>6 months), defined as serum calcium (sCa) ≥10.5 mg/dL, and a mean age of 51.1 ± 13.3 years with a functional allograft for >12 months. The time after surgery to begin cinacalcet was 33 months (range, 12.5-81.3). The initial dose of cinacalcet was 30 mg/d. In a subgroup of 14 patients cinacalcet was stopped after 1 year. We studied the evolution of serum levels of calcium, phosphorus, intact pathyroid hormone (iPTH), and serum creatinine. RESULTS: Calcemia normalized in all patients (sCa <10.2 mg/dL). iPTH decreased (basal 267 ± 212 pg/mL vs final: 219 ± 160 pg/mL; P = ns) Serum phosphorus increased (basal 2.85 ± 0.48 mg/dL vs final 3.16 ± 0.50 mg/dL; P = ns). Renal function remained stable (basal creatinine 1.49 ± 0.48 vs final 1.47 ± 0.32 mg/dL; P = ns). After stopping cinacalcet, in group 1 calcemia persisted at normal levels in 50% (n = 7), but the drug had to be reintroduced in the other 50% after 10 ± 7.9 months. No adverse events were documented. CONCLUSIONS: Cinacalcet is an effective alternative for the treatment of hypercalcemia in patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism after KT. Once the treatment is started, there is presently no invice to disclose to who tolerate its withdrawal or the time to do so.

Withdrawal of cinacalcet at the time of renal transplantation is not a risk factor for allograft calcifications in the early posttransplantation period.

BACKGROUND: Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a relevant problem in patients on dialysis. Cinacalcet in regular clinical practice increases the percentage of patients achieving treatment targets for PTH, Ca and P. We evaluated allograft calcification in serial protocol biopsies after transplantation among patients receiving Cinacalcet on dialysis but discontinued after surgery. METHODS: This retrospective single-centre study included kidney allograft recipients who were receiving Cinacalcet for more than 6 months before surgery and had it withdrawn thereafter. The 46 patients including 17 women showed a mean overall age of 54 ± 30 years. Protocol graft biopsy was performed at 3 and at 12 months. Biochemical analyses at the time of biopsy included blood levels of creatinine, phosphorus, calcium, alkaline phosphatases, iPTH, and proteinuria. RESULTS: Any biopsy showed nephrocalcinosis either intratubular calcifications, or in the parenchyma. There were no changes in calcemia (10.22 ± 0.7 to 10.27 ± 0.7 mg/dL), in alkaline phosphatase (259 ± 119.6 to 255 ± 122.3 mg/dL) nor in iPTH (317 ± 220.2 to 320 ± 168.8 pg/mL) between 3 and 12 months respectively. There was a slight but non-significant increase in serum phosphorus (2.79 ± 0.8 to 3.22 ± 0.9 mg/dL), serum creatinine (1.53 ± 0.6 to 1.84 ± 1.2 mg/dL) and proteinuria (528 ± 603 to 879 ± 1398 mg/24h) between 3 and 12 months respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Withdrawal of Cinacalcet at the time of renal transplantation was not a risk factor for allograft calcifications in the early post-transplant period.

[Guidelines for automated manual infusion: a practical way of prescribing postdilution on-line hemodiafiltration]. / Pauta de infusión manual automatizada: una forma práctica de prescribir la hemodiafiltración on-line posdilucional.

Post-dilution on-line hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) is the most efficient infusion mode to obtain maximum clearances of uremic toxins, with a recommended manual infusion flow (Qi) of 25% of the blood flow with the main limitation that causes alarms by hemoconcentration throughout the session. Recent technical advances allow automatic prescription of Qi if hematocrit and total protein (TP) values are specified. As these analytical results are not possible to obtain in each dialysis session, a practical way to prescribe Qi is to make an automatic prescription adjusting the hematocrit and total protein values at the beginning of the session to obtain the manual prescription required and we will call it automatic-manual prescription. The aim of this study was to compare manual Qi with automatic-manual Qi in postdilution OL-HDF. 30 patients (16 men and 14 women), 59.9 +/- 15 years old, in hemodialysis program for 50.1 +/- 67 months were included. Every patient underwent four OL-HDF sessions, two with manual Qi (4008-S and 5008 monitors) and two with automatic-manual Qi (A-M), one with the same Qi and one with manual Qi +20 (A-M+20). The same usual dialysis parameters were maintained: helixone dialyzer, dialysis time of 266 +/- 39 minutes, blood flow of 420 +/- 36. Recirculation, Kt and intradialysis alarms were measured at each session. No significant differences in the fistula recirculation or dialysis dose measured using Kt. Total infusion volume was 24.9 +/- 4 (4008 S), 23.4 +/- 4 L (5008) with manual Qi, 23.6 +/- 4 L (A-M) Qi (NS) and 25.8 +/- 5 L (A-M+20). Only 14% of patients had no incidents. The number of alarms was significantly higher with manual prescription 55 alarms with 4008 and 40 with 5008 vs. AM (11) p < 0.01) and A-M+20 (16 alarms) We concluded that automatic-manual Qi is a practical way for post-dilutional OL-HDF prescription where the same efficiency and total reinfusion volume with an important reduction of intradialysis alarms are obtained, allowing to rise Qi by 20% without increasing intradialysis alarms.