Heilman, Raymond L.

Background. Kidneys from deceased donors with acute kidney injury (AKI) are more likely to be discarded because of concerns for poor outcomes after transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term outcomes of a large cohort of patients transplanted utilizing kidneys from deceased donors with AKI. Methods. All patients receiving a deceased donor kidney transplant during a recent 10-year period were included. Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) criteria were used to classify the donors. Donor kidneys with >10% cortical necrosis or more than mild chronic changes were discarded. The primary outcome is the combined endpoint of death or graft loss. Results. The cohort included 1313 kidneys from 974 donors, AKIN stage 0 (no AKI) in 319 (24.3%), stage 1 in 370 (28.2%), stage 2 in 177 (13.5), and stage 3 in 447 (34.0%). Estimated 5-year graft survival (95% confidence interval) was 78.5% (72.5-84.5), 77.8% (72.8-82.1), 83.8% (76.8-88.9), and 84.6% (79.5-88.7) for AKIN donor stage 0 to 3, respectively (log-rank P = 0.10). After adjusting for baseline differences, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for the combined endpoint for the AKIN stage 3 group (relative to AKIN 0 group) was 0.70 (0.45-1.10). Delayed graft function occurred in 44.6% and 75.4% of AKIN 2 and 3 groups, as compared to 33.9% and 33.5% in AKIN 0 and 1 ( P < 0.001). Conclusion. We conclude that transplanting selected kidneys from deceased donors with AKI with preimplantation biopsy showing <10% cortical necrosis and no more than mild chronic changes have excellent long-term graft survival.

Abstract Chronic kidney disease is common in patients with multiple myeloma. Historically, individuals with end-stage renal disease and multiple myeloma did poorly with renal transplantation due to higher mortality rates from the malignancy itself or associated comorbidities. However, over the past 2 decades, there have been significant advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma with the advent of new therapeutic agents resulting in an improvement of long-term survival. As a result, more individuals with multiple myeloma are being referred for kidney transplantation, especially those with good functional capacity and minimal comorbidities. Recent literature has suggested that certain patients with multiple myeloma can successfully undergo renal transplantation after stem transplantation with consideration for maintenance therapy, although caution should be used with immunomodulating drugs due to the anecdotally reported risk of acute rejection. Therefore, having a multidisciplinary approach with the transplant team and hematology both before and after transplant is crucial in maximizing the chance of success for these individuals. This review summarizes the literature on renal transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma as well as the therapeutic advancements that have occurred which may allow certain patients to undergo successful transplantation.

Background Significant heterogeneity exists in practice patterns and algorithms used for cardiac screening before kidney transplant. Cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ), is an established validated predictor of future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in both healthy and diseased populations. The literature supports its use among asymptomatic patients in abrogating the need for further cardiac testing. Methods and Results We outlined a pre–renal transplant screening algorithm to incorporate VO 2peak testing among a population of asymptomatic high‐risk patients (with diabetes mellitus and/or >50 years of age). Only those with VO 2peak <17 mL/kg per minute (equivalent to <5 metabolic equivalents) underwent further noninvasive cardiac screening tests. We conducted a retrospective study of the a priori dichotomization of the VO 2peak <17 versus ≥17 mL/kg per minute to determine negative and positive predictive value of future cardiac events and all‐cause mortality. We report a high (>90%) negative predictive value, indicating that VO 2peak ≥17 mL/kg per minute is effective to rule out future cardiac events and all‐cause mortality. However, lower VO 2peak had low positive predictive value and should not be used as a reliable metric to predict future cardiac events and/or mortality. In addition, a simple mathematical calculation documented a cost savings of ≈$272 600 in the cardiac screening among our study cohort of 637 patients undergoing evaluation for kidney and/or pancreas transplant. Conclusions We conclude that incorporating an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness with VO 2peak is safe and allows for a cost savings in the cardiovascular screening protocol among higher‐risk phenotype (with diabetes mellitus and >50 years of age) being evaluated for kidney transplant.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important driver of mortality after kidney transplantation. Its broader impact on posttransplant health care utilization in US hospitals is unknown. Methods We used administrative claims data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey to identify hospitalizations for kidney transplant patients with a cardiovascular diagnosis from 2005 to 2011. CVD hospitalizations were stratified by transplant hospital status to characterize patterns in inpatient health care utilization and outcomes. Based on these analyses, the domestic burden of treatment for posttransplant CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, dysrhythmia, cardiac arrest, malignant hypertension) was estimated. Results The total domestic burden of post-kidney transplant hospitalization between 2005 and 2011 is estimated at 389 138 of which 26.5% of episodes were related to CVD (n = 103 118). CVD was responsible for a growing proportion of post-transplant hospitalizations over time (24.4%-30.4%, P < 0.001). Compared with nontransplant hospitals, transplant hospitals had similar length of stay (median length of stay, 3.7 days), higher median costs per hospitalization (US $10 364 vs US $8606, overall US $9324), and lower adjusted mortality (3.2% vs 3.9%, overall 3.6%; P = 0.003). Conclusions Inpatient CVD care is increasing over time for kidney transplant patients, accounting for 30% of all post-transplant hospitalizations. Variation exists in the inpatient care, outcomes, and costs between by hospital type. Further studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms behind these phenomena.

Background and objectives Delayed graft function is a form of AKI resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Our aim was to study the effect of delayed graft function on the progression of interstitial fibrosis after deceased donor kidney transplantation. Design, setting, participants, & measurements Our study is a retrospective study of all patients transplanted at our center between July of 2003 and September of 2014 using a kidney from a deceased donor. The primary outcome was the progression of interstitial fibrosis on serial protocol biopsies done during the first year post-transplant. We analyzed the distribution of the change in the Banff interstitial fibrosis (ci) score between the delayed graft function and nondelayed graft function groups for all of the paired biopsies done at time 0 and 12 months post-transplant ( Δ fibrosis). We also performed a linear mixed model analyzing the difference in the slopes for the progression of mean Banff ci score for all of the biopsies done at time 0 and 1, 4, and 12 months post-transplant. Results There were 343 (36.7%) in the delayed graft function group and 591 in the control group. The biopsy rates for the delayed graft function and nondelayed graft function groups at time 0 were 65.3% ( n =224) and 67.0% ( n =396), respectively, and at 12 months, they were 64.4% ( n =221) and 68.4% ( n =404), respectively. Paired biopsies were available for 155 in the delayed graft function group and 283 in the control group. In a risk-adjusted model, Banff ci score >0 on the time 0 biopsy had a higher odds of delayed graft function (odds ratio, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.82). The distribution of the Δ fibrosis between 0 and 12 months was similar in delayed graft function and control groups ( P =0.91). The slopes representing the progression of fibrosis were also similar between the groups ( P =0.66). Conclusions Donor-derived fibrosis may increase the odds of delayed graft function; however, delayed graft function does not seem to increase the progression of fibrosis during the first year after transplantation.

AbstractKidney transplant (KT) programs have extended recipient eligibility to those who were previously excluded due to advanced age. We aimed to determine the outcomes of the patients ≥70 years undergoing KT and investigate factors predicting survival. Two thousand six hundred and twenty‐four KT patients between 2003 and 2013 at two institutions were divided into two groups; those ≥70 years (n=300) and those <70 years (n=2324) at the time of KT. Patient survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 95%, 86%, and 77% in ≥70 years of age group and 98%, 95%, and 90% in the <70 years group (P<.001). When graft loss due to death was censored, graft survival was not significantly different between the two groups (P=.18). On multivariable analysis, the significant predictors of inferior survival in patients ≥70 years included: body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07; P=.01), panel reactive antibody (PRA)>20% (HR 2.38; P=.01), previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; HR 1.95; P=.03) and peripheral vascular disease (PVD; HR 2.60; P=.04). Acceptable outcomes can be achieved in KT recipients ≥70 years. Caution should be used when listing these patients if they have BMI>30 kg/m2, PRA>20%, CABG or PVD.