Renal Transplantation in the Elderly: Are They All the Same? A Multicenter, Comorbidity-Based Study.

INTRODUCTION: The age for kidney transplantation (KT) is no longer a limitation and several studies have shown benefits in the survival of elderly patients. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of the baseline Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score to morbidity and mortality after transplantation. METHODS: In this multicentric observational retrospective cohort study, we included patients older than 60 years admitted on the waiting list (WL) for deceased donor KT from January 01, 2006, to December 31, 2016. The CCI score was calculated for each patient at inclusion on the WL. RESULTS: Data for analysis were available of 387 patients. The patients were divided in tertiles of CCI: group 1 (CCI: 1-2) n = 117, group 2 (CCI: 3-4) n = 158, and group 3 (CCI: ≥5) n = 112. Patient survival was significantly different between CCI groups at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively: 90%, 88%, and 84% for group 1, 88%, 80%, and 72% for group 2, and 87%, 75%, and 63% for group 3 (p < 0.0001). Variables associated with mortality were CCI score (p < 0.0001), HLA mismatch (p = 0.014), length of hospital stay (p < 0.0001), surgical complications (p = 0.048). CONCLUSION: Individualized strategies to modify these variables may improve patient's morbidity and mortality after KT.

Reduced survival in patients who return to dialysis after kidney allograft failure.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of patients who return to dialysis after Kidney allograft failure (KAF) remains unclear. Our aim was to compare the outcome of KAF patients vs two different types of transplant naive incident dialysis (TNID) patients, those on the waiting list (WL) and those with a kidney transplant contraindication (KTC). METHODS: We performed an observational study using data from the Argentinian Dialysis Registry between 2005 and 2016. We compare mortality between KAF, WL, and KTC. RESULTS: We included 75 722 patients of which 2734 were KAF. Survival between the three cohorts (KAF vs WL (n = 14 630) vs KTC (n = 58 358) revealed a significant difference (log-rank test: P < .0001) indicating worse survival for KTC patients and best survival for WL. We found that KAF patients had as poor outcome as KTC patients after multivariate adjustment. Cox regression showed that age >65 years: HR: 1.845 (1.79-1.89) P < .0001, transient catheter: HR: 1.303 (1.26-1.34) P < .0001, diabetic: HR: 1.273 (1.22-1.31) P < .0001, hepatitis C: HR: 1.156 (1.09-1.22) P < .0001, and albumin: HR: 1.247 (1.21-1.28) P < .0001 were associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: Patients who return to dialysis after KAF have higher mortality than WL patients and similar to KTC patients.

Hypercalcemia as an Early Finding of Opportunistic Fungal Pneumonia in Renal Transplantation: A Case Series Report.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia caused by opportunistic fungi is a serious complication in immunocompromised patients. Hypercalcemia has been described in renal transplantation associated with Pneumocystis jirovecii (PJP) or Histoplasma capsulatum (HCP) pneumonia. METHODS: We describe 5 patients who underwent kidney transplant between 2014 and 2019 and developed hypercalcemia before the diagnosis of pulmonary fungal infection: 4 patients with PJP and 1 with HCP. We assessed calcium metabolism and kidney function by total and ionized calcium, phosphorus, intact parathormone (iPTH), 25-OH vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D, and serum creatinine levels. RESULTS: Mean albumin-corrected calcium and ionized calcium were 12.56 mg/dL (range, 10.8-13.8 mg/dL) and 1.57 mmol/L (range, 1.43-1.69 mmol/L). Patients were normocalcemic, at 10.12 mg/dL (range, 9.6-10.5 mg/dL), before diagnosis and resolved hypercalcemia after antifungal treatment, at 8.86 mg/dL (range, 8.0-9.5 mg/dL). All patients had low or normal iPTH values, at 29.1 pg/mL (range, <3-44 pg/mL), with higher PTH levels 3 months before diagnosis and after treatment, at 147.3 pg/mL (range, 28.1-479 pg/mL) and 117.5 pg/mL (range, 18.2-245 pg/mL), respectively. The mean value for 25-OH vitamin D was 30.8 ng/mL (range, 14.6-62.8 ng/mL). This supports a PTH-independent mechanism, and we postulated an extrarenal production of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D. CONCLUSION: In kidney transplant patients, hypercalcemia independent of PTH and refractory to treatment should alert for the possibility of opportunistic fungal pneumonia.

Impacto de la glomerulopatía post trasplante en la sobrevida del injerto renal / Post-transplant glomerulopathy impact in renal graft survival

Introducción: las glomerulopatías primarias son causa de enfermedad renal crónica en receptores de trasplante renal (30%-50%), siendo un determinante importante en la sobrevida del injerto. Recientes estudios revelan que la recurrencia fue la tercer causa más frecuente de pérdida delinjerto a 10 años de seguimiento postrasplante. Objetivo: Analizar el impacto de las glomerulopatía postrasplante como predictor de pérdida del injerto. Material y métodos: Entre enero de 1990 y abril del 2013 se realizaron 849 biopsias renales en 375 pacientes trasplantados, diagnosticándose 50 casos de glomerulopatía. Se comparó dicha población con un grupo histórico de receptores de trasplante renal entre 2000 al 2011, sin glomerulopatía. Se analizó la sobrevida del injerto renal en ambas poblaciones. Resultados: Se diagnosticaron 50 glomerulopatías post trasplante en 47 pacientes. No encontramos diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre este grupo y el grupo histórico en: edad del receptor; sexo del donante; tipo del donante; n¿²mero de miss match; tiempo de isquemia del órgano; tasa de rechazo agudo; retardo de la función del injerto; ni en la mortalidad del receptor. Si hallamos diferencias significativa en sexo masculino, 88 vs 55% (p< 0.05). La tasa de pérdida del injerto renal fue significativamente más frecuente entre los pacientes que presentaron enfermedad glomerular 38 vs 8% (p< 0.01). Conclusión: En nuestra población, la aparición de glomerulopatía post trasplante se asoció a una disminución de la sobrevida del injerto observándose una mayor tasa de pérdida en la glomerulopatía membranoproliferativa.

Introduction: primary glomerulopathy is cause of renal chronic disease in renal transplant recipients (30%-50%), being an important determinant in graft survival. Recent studies reveal that recurrence was the third most frequent cause of graft lost after 10 years post-transplant monitoring process. Objective: To analyze posttransplant glomerulopathy impact as a graft lost predictor. Methods: Between January 1990 and April 2013, 849 renal biopsies were carried out on 375 transplanted patients, 50 glomerulopathy cases were diagnosed. This population was compared with an historical renal transplant recipients group between 2000 to 2011, without glomerulopathy. Renal graft survival was analyzed in both populations. Results: 50 post-transplant glomerulopathies were diagnosed in 47 patients. We did not find statistically significant differences between this group and the historical one concerning recipient age, donor sex, donor type, miss match number, organ ischaemia time, acute rejection rate, delayed graft function, and neither in the recipient mortality. We did find significant differences in male sex, 88% vs 55% (p< 0.05). Renal graft lost rate was significantly more frequent among patients presenting glomerular disease 38 vs 8 % (p< 0.01). Conclusion: In our population, post transplant glomerulopathy was associated to graft survival reduction and a higher membranoproliferative glomerulopathy lost rate was observed.

Prevalencia de hipercalcemia en pacientes con transplante [sic] renal: factores predictores / Prevalence of hypercalcemia in patients with renal transplant: predictive factors

El transplante renal (TxR) mejora el hiperparatiroidismo urémico. Sin embargo algunos pacientes pueden presentar hipercalcemia en el post TxR que altera la función del injerto y requiere en muchos casos cirugía de la paratiroides. El objetivo del trabajo fue establecer la prevalencia de hipercalcemia en pacientes con TxR y los factores que la predicen. Se incluyeron 60 adultos con insuficiencia renal crónica que recibieron un transplante renal. Se consignaron los valores de Calcemia, Fosfatemia, Fosfatasa alcalina y PTH intacta, previo al transplante y durante el seguimiento posterior. Se subdividió a la población en tres grupos según la calcemia post transplante y su duración en el período de un año: pacientes con 1. Calcemia normal (NC); 2. Hipercalcemia transitoria (HT) (se normaliza antes del año del transplante); 3. Hipercalcemia persistente (HP) (hipercalcemia sostenida más de 12 meses y que se adscribe a disfunción paratiroidea). Se verificó hipercalcemia post-transplante en el 33,4% de los pacientes (16,7% con HP y 16,7% con HT). Los factores asociados a hipercalcemia persistente fueron: 1) Mayor tiempo de hemodiálisis (NC: 30,5±4,8 meses; HT: 45,4±11,7 meses y HP: 64,7±14,0 meses; ANOVA: p=0,02); 2) Calcemias elevadas (NC: 9,4±0,1 mg/dl, HT: 10,2±0,3mg/dl y HP: 10,3±0,4 mg/dl; ANOVA: p=0,002) y PTH pre TxR (NC: 202 (78-485) pg/ml; HT: 146 (115-508) pg/ml y HP: 759 (368-1126) pg/ml; mediana 1er-3er cuartilo, test de Kruskall-Wallis: p=0,02). Se comprobaron correlaciones positivas entre tiempo de hemodiálisis y PTH post TxR (r=0,65; p<0,05) y Ca post TxR (r=0,32; p=0,02); la PTH pre y post TxR correlacionaron en forma directa (r=0,55; p<0,05). El grupo de pacientes con hipercalcemia transitoria presentó calcemias superiores a las óptimas con niveles de PTH adecuados. Los niveles de calcio y PTH elevados en pacientes en diálisis se asocian al desarrollo de hipercalcemia persistente en el período posterior al TxR.