Comprehensive evaluation of bone health among kidney transplant recipients - A prospective, single center, observational cohort study from India

Background: There is a paucity of studies describing trabecular bone score (TBS) and bone mineral density (BMD) in kidney transplant (KT) recipients from developing countries.

Study setting: This prospective observational study, from a tertiary teaching hospital in India assessed clinical, biochemical parameters including bone turnover markers and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for BMD/TBS, hip structural analysis (HSA) and vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) at pre-KT, 3 months and 12 months post-KT.

Results: A total of 53 KT recipients (90.6% living related) were recruited from August 2019 to March 2020 and followed till 1-year post-KT. The mean age was 33.9±10.4 years, 71.7% were males, and 11.5% had a history of pre-KT steroid use. Baseline fractures pre-KT as assessed by VFA were seen in 4 patients (7.5%). Mean BMD at spine and femoral neck and HSA variables at narrow neck and femoral shaft continued to decline till 3 months, but stabilised and reached pre-KT values 12 months post-KT. However, TBS and bone turn over markers continued to decline till 12 months post-KT (p value <0.001). New onset vertebral fractures were seen in 2(3.7%) and 1 patient (2.3%) at 3- and 12-months post-KT respectively. Pre-KT BMD significantly influenced bone health at 12 months post-KT, with patients in each quartile maintaining a similar trajectory over the follow up period (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Despite significant improvement in kidney function following transplant, TBS and BMD of the spine significantly decreased mainly in the early post-KT period suggesting the effect of immunosuppressants on the bone. Strategies to improve bone health in KT patients are warranted.