Cerebral blood flow following successful living kidney transplantation: the VINTAGE study

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular disease. However, there is limited research on how successful living donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) affects cerebral blood flow (CBF). This study aims to comprehensively investigate how LDKT influences CBF across various brain levels and regions.

Data from 53 recipients between 2016 and 2020 were obtained from the VINTAGE study conducted at our hospital. CBF was measured by level and region using single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), according to the Talairach brain atlas. The primary endpoint was the mean difference in CBF before and 1-year post-LDKT. Subgroup analysis using traditional risk factors assessed the heterogeneity of the effect on CBF in the frontal lobe region.

LDKT improved blood flow in the anterior cerebral artery and middle cerebral artery but had less impact on the posterior cerebral artery. The most consistent improvements were observed in the frontal lobe region {left frontal lobe: -0.12 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.18 to -0.05], P < .001; right frontal lobe: -0.13 [95% CI -0.21 to -0.05], P = .001}. Subgroup analysis showed a consistent effect of LDKT on frontal lobe CBF improvement, with no qualitative interaction observed.

LDKT contributes to the normalization of CBF, with improvement in anterior circulation and frontal lobe blood flow. To clarify the clinical significance of KT's CBF-improving effect, future studies should investigate the relationship between specific cognitive impairments (e.g. short-term memory, visuospatial ability, executive function) and CBF in each perfusion region.