Peritoneal dialysis favorably influences early graft function after renal transplantation compared to hemodialysis

Delayed graft function (DGF) and acute renal failure (ARF) after renal transplantation negatively influence short- and long-term graft outcome. Peritoneal dialysis as pretransplantation dialysis modality was reported to influence favorably the recovery of renal function immediately after kidney transplantation. It has been hypothesized that fluid status was the factor explaining this better outcome. This hypothesis was tested in this study by multivariate analysis, also including other factors related to DGF and ARF.

The records of peritoneal dialysis (PD; n=40) and hemodialysis (HD; n=79) patients receiving a first cadaveric kidney transplantation at the University Hospital Gent were analyzed.

DGF and ARF were observed in 33 (27 HD and 6 PD, P=0.03) and 14 (14 HD and 0 PD, P=0.01) patients, respectively. The number of days needed to reach a serum creatinine 50% below that before transplantation (T1/2(SCr)), was correlated with cold ischemia time (CIT) (P<0.001) and body weight gain (BWG) (P<0.01) and was inversely correlated with urinary output in the first 24 hr (P<0.001), fluid load (P<0.001), and central venous pressure (P<0.001). A multivariate model with CIT (P<0.001), PD as pretransplantation dialysis mode (P=0.01), urinary output in the first 24 hr (P=0.001), BWG (P=0.05), and fluid load (P=0.01) resulted in an R2 of 0.32 (P<0.001). Using Cox regression analysis, the relative risk for a prolonged T1/2(SCr) increased with 4%/hr CIT (P=0.01) and with 1%/kg BWG (P=0.02). Fluid load decreased the relative risk with 5%/liter (P<0.001) and PD as pretransplantation modality favorably modified the relative risk by a factor of 1.6 (P=0.01).

PD as pretransplantation dialysis modality can reduce the incidence and the severity of delayed recovery of renal function after renal transplantation. This protective effect was independent from CIT, and fluid status, two other major influencing factors.