Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Effect of pretransplant hemoglobin blood level on kidney transplant outcome
Maroun M Abou-Jaoude1, Naji Nawfal, Robert Najm
1Department of Surgery, Sacre-Coeur Hospital, Baabda-Hazmieh, Lebanon.
Insights
Pretransplant hemoglobin levels did not significantly impact kidney transplant outcomes, except for a slight increase in creatinine levels at one year for patients with higher pretransplant hemoglobin.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Transplantation Immunology
- Hematology
Background:
- Pretransplant anemia is common in kidney transplant candidates.
- The impact of pretransplant hemoglobin levels on kidney transplant outcomes remains debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between pretransplant hemoglobin levels and various kidney transplant outcomes.
- To determine if pretransplant hemoglobin influences graft survival, rejection rates, or complications.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 149 kidney transplant recipients.
- Patients were stratified into two groups based on pretransplant hemoglobin: <10 g/dL (Group A) and >10 g/dL (Group B).
- Groups were matched for key donor and recipient characteristics.
Main Results:
- Acute rejection, infection rates, and surgical complications were similar between groups.
- Patient and graft survival rates were comparable, but Group B had longer hospital stays.
- Higher serum creatinine levels were observed in Group B at discharge, 6 months, and 1 year post-transplant.
Conclusions:
- Pretransplant hemoglobin level does not significantly affect overall kidney transplant outcomes.
- Elevated pretransplant hemoglobin (>10 g/dL) was associated with higher serum creatinine levels at one year post-transplant.
Objectives:
We investigated the effect of pretransplant hemoglobin level on the outcome of kidney transplant.
Patients And Methods:
Patients were divided in 2 groups: group A < 10 g/dL (80 patients; PTHb < 10 g/dL), and group B > 10 g/dL (69 patients; PTHb = 10 g/dL), and were matched regarding donor age, recipient sex, blood group, donor recipient HLA, and Cytomegalovirus status.
Results:
The frequency of acute rejection, together with the timing of rejection, the need for antithymocyte globulin Fresenius rescue therapy, infection rate, and posttransplant surgical complications were comparable between both groups. While the 1-year actuarial patient and graft survival rates, delayed graft function, and slow graft function rates were comparable between both groups, longer hospital stay was required for group B (> 10 g/dL) patients (P = .005). Mean serum creatinine levels upon discharge (P = .02), at 6 months (P = .05), and 1 year (P = .02) after discharge were higher in group B (> 10 g/dL) patients. While posttransplant hemoglobin levels were lower than pretransplant levels, they were higher in group B (> 10 g/dL) compared with group A (< 10 g/dL), (P = .019).
Conclusions:
Pretransplant hemoglobin level does not affect the outcome of kidney transplant, except for creatinine levels at 1 year.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
01:16Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management
01:26Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
01:22Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...
01:24Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests
01:30Acute Kidney Injury IV: Diagnostic Studies and Prevention