Abstract
Objective:
While numerous reports have characterized the prevalence and risk factors of acute post-transplantation anemia (PTA) and erythrocytosis (PTE), there is a scarcity in the published reports regarding their chronic forms. We conducted the present study to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of PTA and PTE.
Materials and Methods:
This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 81 kidney transplant recipients in the renal transplant clinic at Sohag University Hospital during the period from February 2018 to February 2019.
Results:
We found that the prevalence of PTA was 44.4%, mainly normocytic anemia; almost one-third of anemic patients had severe anemia. On the other hand, 11.1% of the patients had erythrocytosis. Patients with history of rejection, higher number of rejection episodes. and cell-mediated rejection were more likely to have PTA. In addition, patients with PTA were more likely to receive anti-thymocyte globulin, intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG), rituximab, and plasmapheresis. Patients with more decline in kidney functions had higher risk of PTA and PTE. Regarding the impact of PTA and PTE on patients’ outcomes, we found that patients with PTA and PTE were more likely to have impaired graft function than patients with normal hematological parameters. On multivariate analysis, only history of hypertension and hyperparathyroidism were independent predictors of PTA.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, chronic PTA and PTE are common in transplant recipients. Therefore, it is recommended that physicians involved in renal transplantation consider the investigation and follow-up of transplant recipients for PTA and adopt appropriate preventive and therapeutic measures.