Early posttransplantation hemoglobin level corresponds with chronic renal dysfunction in heart transplant recipients

Background: The risk factors for moderate or severe chronic renal dysfunction (MSCRD) among heart transplant recipients may be distinct from those previously recognized owing to recently improved clinical care.

Methods: We examined the clinical records of 88 adult patients who underwent first heart transplantations from 2000 to 2005 and survived 2 years. MSCRD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) at 2 years after transplantation. Fifty patients were included in the MSCRD group and 38 in the non-MSCRD group.

Results: Loss of renal function was observed largely during the first 9 months after transplantation in the MSCRD group. The pretransplantation GFR was lower in the MSCRD group. Besides older age in the MSCRD group, there were no differences in baseline characteristics, immunosuppressive regimens, incidences of acute rejection episodes, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, or severe infections. The MSCRD group showed permanent lower posttransplantation hemoglobin levels. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, recipient age, pretransplantation GFR, postoperative intensive care unit stay and hemoglobin level at 9 month were unfavorable factors for posttransplantation MSCRD.

Conclusions: In addition to recipient age and pretransplantation GFR as well established risk factors, our results suggest a prognostic value of a low early hemoglobin level for the development of chronic renal dysfunction after heart transplantation.