A Mayo Clinic 13-year investigation of the syndrome of rapid onset ESRD among renal transplant recipients: An analysis of the implications of renal allograft biopsy results

Abstract

Introduction: We first described the syndrome of rapid onset end stage renal disease (SORO-ESRD), acute yet irreversible renal failure, in 2010.

Objective: The impact of SORO-ESRD renal allograft survival remains speculative and we plan to study this question.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of individual adult patient-level serum creatinine trajectories of ESRD patients on maintenance hemodialysis for >90 days at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 2001-2013.

Results: Of 1461 ESRD patients, 149 (10%) patients including 13 renal transplant recipients (RTRs) satisfied the diagnosis of SORO-ESRD - 4 males, 9 females, 12 Caucasians/one other, age 45 (18-83) years. Serum creatinine was 1.4 (0.8-1.7) mg/dL in the last year before hemodialysis initiation. Initial hemodialysis access was a dialysis catheter in all 13 patients. AKI precipitating SORO-ESRD followed acute rejection (4), postoperative (2), tubulo-interstitial nephritis (2), unknown (2), infection/sepsis (1), contrast nephropathy (1), BKV nephropathy (1), and cardio-renal syndrome (1). Renal allograft survival was 1469 (277-4939) days (4 years). Renal allograft biopsies were available in 9/14 (69%) RTRs - Four showed acute rejection, two of which followed interruption of immunosuppression, three revealed acute tubular necrosis and four others also showed chronic transplant glomerulopathy. Time on hemodialysis was 856 (129-1630) days (2.4 years). 5/13 RTRs with SORO-ESRD (38%) died - 3 (60%) following cardiac arrest, 2 (40%) after stopping hemodialysis. 4/13 (31%) were re-transplanted in the period of this study.

Conclusion: SORO-ESRD contributed significantly to late renal allograft loss and return to hemodialysis with 100% initial dialysis catheter rate. Potentially preventable causes of AKI leading to SORO-ESRD were identified. The application of experience gained from such studies would help reduce late renal allograft loss and the need for re-transplantation. This would further help reduce the yawning gap between need and availability of donor kidney organs both here in the United States and around the world. Larger studies are warranted.

Keywords: End stage renal disease; hemodialysis; renal allograft loss; renal transplant recipients; retrospective study; syndrome of rapid onset end stage renal disease.