Correlates and Outcomes of Early Acute Kidney Injury after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are at high risk for acute kidney injury (AKI). The etiology of AKI is often multifactorial and includes exposure to antibiotics and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) for prevention of graft versus host disease.

This is a retrospective, single center study which evaluated patients undergoing inpatient HCT at Froedtert Memorial Hospital, Milwaukee, Wisconsin from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2016. AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine > 0.3 mg/dL from baseline value.

The total number of patients included in the study was 280, 64 had AKI and 216 were in the non-AKI group. AKI was noted in 23% patients. Exposure to CNI or vancomycin accounted for the majority of the cases (82%). The median pre-AKI vancomycin trough was elevated in the AKI group at 21.3 mcg/mL (range: 17.4-24.4 mcg/mL) while the pre-AKI CNI trough was lower in the AKI group at 12.3 ng/mL (range: 8.7-14.7 ng/mL).There were also a higher number of ICU transfers (19%) and higher 100 day mortality (15.6%) in the AKI group.

AKI is a frequent complication following HCT and is associated with a higher risk of ICU transfer and higher mortality post HCT. While a higher vancomycin trough level may be indicative of a higher risk of AKI, the risk following CNI exposure may not be related to trough levels alone. There may be underlying pharmacogenetic factors which may alter the risk of AKI with CNI use.