Transplantationstechnologien und Forschung

Renal Outcome after Combined Liver-kidney Transplantation in Children

Abstract

Laura Burgos, Maria Jose Martinez Urrutia, Francisco Hernandez, Laura Espinosa, Roberto Lobato, Pedro Lopez, Manolo Lopez Santamaria and Enrique Jaureguizar

Background: Combined Liver and Kidney Transplantation (CLKT) is a recognized treatment option for a select group of paediatric patients with severe liver and kidney disease. The aim of this study is to report Indication and outcome of CLKT in our center and to compare the results with the Isolated Kidney Transplantation (IKT).

Patients and method: We retrospectively reviewed children who underwent CLKT between 1997 and 2009. Data analyzed include age, sex, cause of kidney/liver disease, pre-transplant dialysis, donor age, cross-match, and immunosuppression regimen. Additionally, cold ischemia time, Acute Rejection (AR) episodes and patient and graft survival were compared with patients who had IKT in the same period of time.

Results: 9 children (5 females, 4 males) underwent CLKT and 127 IKT. In CLKT group, mean patient age was 10.5 ± 3.9 years. Indications for CLKT were: primary hyperoxaluria (n=3), hemolytic uremic syndrome (n=1), Alagille Syndrome (n=1), nephronoptisis (n=1) and polycystic hepatorenal disease (n=3). Five patients were on dialysis before transplant. In all patients, both grafts were obtained from the same donor and cross-matches were negative. Immunosuppression was induced with Basiliximab and maintained with triple therapy (Tacrolimus+Mycophenolate mofetil+Prednisone). Mean cold ischemia time was shorter in CLKT (10.9 ± 3.5 vs. 16.8 ± 4.6 hours) and hospital stay was longer (35.5 ± 10 vs. 13.9 ± 5.3 days) compared to IKT. Long-term mean Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) and cystatin levels were similar in both groups. Rejection tended to be less frequent in CLKT (11 vs. 25%) than in IKT. Patient survival was lower (P=0.008) in CLKT. One patient with chronic liver and kidney rejection due to noncompliance died during re-transplantation 5 years after the first transplant. There were no deaths in the IKT group Mean follow-up time is 5.27 ± 2.9 years the IKT group Mean Follow-up time is 5.27 ± 2.9 years.

Conclusions: Most common indications for CLKT in our children are primary hyperoxaluria and polycystic disease. Long-term results in children receiving CLKT are comparable to those with isolated kidney transplantation.