Renal function and glomerular permselectivity late after living related donor transplantation

Living related kidney transplantation is the preferable procedure for renal replacement therapy. The aim of the current study was to determine systemic hemodynamic and intrarenal adaptions in donors and recipients late after living related kidney transplantation. Furthermore, glomerular permselectivity was assessed in these subjects. We studied mean blood pressure (MAP), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal plasma flow (RPF), microalbuminuria (MIA), 24-hr urinary protein excretion, and glomerular permselectivity (fractional clearance of neutral dextrans [thetaD] as a marker for size selectivity and fractional clearance of dextran sulfate [thetaDS] to assess charge selectivity) in 22 donors and 22 recipients. MAP was normal in the donor group (102 +/- 4 mmHg), but five patients had blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg. This 18%, however, is lower than the prevalence of hypertension in the age-adjusted general population in Austria. The recipients also had normal MAP at the time of study (99 +/- 3); however, 13 needed antihypertensive therapy. GFR and RPF were lower in recipients than in donors (53 +/- 8 vs. 72 +/- 11 and 314 +/- 74 vs. 412 +/- 86 ml/min respectively). In the donor group, GFR was 137 +/- 45% of the expected age-adjusted mean value/kidney due to hyperfiltration. Proteinuria and MIA were higher in the recipients than in the donors (0.39 +/- 0.22 vs. 0.07 +/- 0.04 g/day, 137 +/- 136 vs. 26 +/- 15 mg/day). Nonetheless, five donors had an elevated MIA. A higher need for antihypertensive medication could be observed in recipients with previous rejection episodes, as well as a significantly higher urinary protein excretion and MIA (0.7 +/- 0.42 vs. 0.24 +/- 0.14 g/day, 336 +/- 380 vs. 48 +/- 32 mg/day). ThetaDS was significantly higher in the recipients, whereas thetaDS of the donors was identical to the value obtained from 18 healthy controls (0.7 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.06). OD was similar in all groups studied. In conclusion, 76 months after uninephrectomy for renal donation, mild changes in glomerular permselectivity occurred in a subset of donors without affecting renal excretory function. In recipients, proteinuria was due to a defect in glomerular charge selectivity.