Outcome of kidney transplantation in patients with polycystic kidney disease: a single center study

Abstract

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common cause of end-stage renal disease and a common indication for renal transplantation. Patients with ADPKD show some differences in graft outcome and complications following renal transplantation. This study was undertaken to evaluate the demographics, outcome and complications of renal transplantation in patients with ADPKD. In a retrospective case-control design, 51 patients with ADPKD were recognized amongst a total of 1200 renal transplant patients. For each case, a matched control based on sex, age (+/- 5 years) and type of kidney donor, was selected. All relevant data were gathered using patients' records and PNOT software. There were 34 males (66.7%) and 17 females (33.3%) with ADPKD. Mean age at transplantation was 42.6 +/- 14.3 years and source of donor organ was predominantly live unrelated (72.5%). Forty patients (78.4%) had extra-renal manifestations of ADPKD, the most common of which were cardiac valvular disease (24 cases, 47.1%), and liver cysts (10 cases, 19.6%). Rejection occurred in 12 patients in the case-group (23.5%) in comparison to nine patients (17.6%) in the control group (p > 0.05). Twenty-nine cases (56.9%) did not develop any complications. The common complications noted after transplantation included infections (15.7% in cases vs 19.6% in controls), and cerebrovascular accidents (13.7% in cases vs 16.6% in controls). Patient outcome after short- and long-term follow-up was slightly better in the ADPKD population than the control group; however, it was not statistically significant. Also, no complication was found to occur more frequently in ADPKD patients.