Renal function is similar in solitary kidneys from patients with and without diabetes

Due to the shortage of living kidney donors and the current diabetes mellitus (DM) pandemic, studying the association of solitary kidney (SK) with DM is of paramount importance. Our aim was to assess the significance of the association between SK and DM.

Eighty-four patients with SK and DM (group A), with a mean age of 62.46±12.72 years, of whom 36 were males and 48 were females, were enrolled in the study. The control group (group B) comprised 84 SK patients without DM of similar age and duration of existence of a SK. Mean age: 61.58±8.22 years, 23 males and 61 females. Serum creatinine, GFR (CKD-EPI), glycaemia, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, proteinuria/24h, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and BMI were assessed.

The group of patients with SK and DM (group A) had a higher BMI (p=0.0007), higher metabolic abnormalities (higher glycaemia [p<0.001], triglycerides [p=0.0004], uric acid [p=0.019] and proteinuria/24h [p=0.006]). The study group also had a higher prevalence of hypertension (p=0.003) and coronary artery disease (p=0.031).

We found a higher value of proteinuria in the study group, significant metabolic abnormalities, as well as a higher prevalence of hypertension and coronary artery disease. However, no differences with respect to GFR were found, which could have significant implications for transplantation.