Treatment with calcimimetics in kidney transplantation

Graft and patient survival in renal transplantation has increased with better immune suppression treatment, leading to the appearance of new complications such as posttransplant bone disease. After renal transplantation and the recovery of renal function, mineral metabolism disorders secondary to renal failure could be expected to normalize. However, both immediately after transplantation and later, and even with good renal graft function, we see bone disorders associated to renal osteodystrophy, a high incidence of osteopenia, persistent hyperparathyroidism, hypercalcemia, hypophosphoremia, and less commonly, aseptic bone necrosis. The causes potentially responsible for these disorders have basically been identified as different degrees of renal insufficiency in the graft, persistent posttransplant secondary hyperparathyroidism, and negative impact of immunosuppression treatment, particularly corticosteroids. The most important factor in the evolution of metabolic and bone disorders after renal transplantation, however, is pretransplant bone status. Special attention should be paid to other osteoarticular complications such as loss of bone mass and fractures, leading to significant morbidity. In the therapeutic approach to these patients, as well as encouraging physical exercise and advice about diet or other habits, the use of drugs such as calcium and vitamin D supplements, bisphosphonates, and more recently, calcimimetics have made significant improvements in the prevention and treatment of bone-mineral metabolism. It has been shown that calcimimetic agents can control the parathyroid hormone, reduce episodes of hypercalcemia, and improve hypophosphatemia. Their properties have to be assessed in broader studies to establish the basis for their widespread use among renal transplant recipients.