Renal function in patients treated with cinacalcet for persistent hyperparathyroidism after kidney transplantation

Cinacalcet effectively reduces calcium in patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) after kidney transplantation. We aimed to assess the association of cinacalcet with a decrease in renal function based on a meta-analysis of observational studies in kidney transplant patients with persistent HPT.

Meta-analysis of observational studies, no randomized controlled studies were available. We calculated the mean difference between renal function before cinacalcet and at 3 months on cinacalcet treatment for each study. Pooled analyses are based on random effects models.

Pooling the studies on kidney transplant patients with persistent HPT (8 studies, n = 115), we found a significant reduction in renal function (p = 0.008). The effect size was 5 μmol/l (p < 0.0001) when pooling the 7 studies where serum creatinine levels were reported. Meta-regression analysis revealed that there was an association between renal function and the amount of calcium reduction under treatment with cinacalcet. A higher delta change in serum calcium levels was associated with a decrease in renal function at 3 months of cinacalcet treatment.

Cinacalcet treatment was associated with a decline of renal function in kidney transplant recipients with persistent HPT. Our meta-analysis underscores the need for frequent monitoring of creatinine and calcium levels during cinacalcet treatment.