Defining kidney outcomes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the modern era

Reeti Kumar1, Suzanne Reed2, Joseph R Stanek2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Division Nephrology, Duke University Medical Center, 2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC, 27705, USA. reeti.kumar@duke.edu.

Insights

Pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients show high rates of acute kidney injury (AKI) and hypertension (HTN) at diagnosis. However, chronic kidney disease (CKD) development is rare, indicating a generally good mid-term kidney outlook.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a common childhood cancer.
  • Kidney complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and hypertension (HTN), can affect patients with ALL.
  • Understanding the incidence of these complications is crucial for patient management and long-term outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the incidence of AKI, CKD, and HTN in pediatric patients diagnosed with ALL.
  • To analyze kidney-related outcomes over a 9-year period post-diagnosis.
  • To assess the mid-term kidney prognosis for children with ALL.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study including pediatric ALL patients diagnosed between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2016.
  • Collection of demographic and clinical data, including serum creatinine and blood pressure, at diagnosis and up to 9 years post-diagnosis.
  • Analysis of incidence rates for AKI, CKD, and HTN within the studied cohort.

Main Results:

  • High incidence of AKI observed in 45.5% of patients at least once.
  • Low incidence of CKD noted in 2.3% of patients.
  • High incidence of HTN at diagnosis (45.6%), 1 month post-diagnosis (65.8%), and chronic HTN (34.3%).

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric ALL patients experience a high incidence of AKI at diagnosis.
  • The development of CKD is infrequent, suggesting a favorable mid-term kidney prognosis.
  • A significant proportion of patients develop HTN at various time points, with a notable percentage having chronic HTN, often untreated.
Abstract

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