Renal outcomes in pediatric liver transplantation

The outcomes of 294 orthotopic liver transplants performed in 221 children at The University of Chicago Children's Hospital between October 1984 and October 1992 have been retrospectively reviewed. Medical information for 281 transplants in 210 children was sufficient for inclusion in this analysis. The mean age at transplant was 4.1 ± 5.0 yr. Forty-four percent of the children were male, and 16% of the transplants were living-related. Four children received combined liver-kidney transplants. Seventy six percent of the children are currently alive. The incidence of acute renal failure occuring following transplantation and requiring dialysis was 6.2% with a mortality rate of 85%. Early postoperative hypertension was seen in 65% of the children and persistent hypertension of greater than 12 months duration was seen in 28%. Sixteen percent of children developed metabolic acidosis requiring sustained sodium bicarbonate supplementation. Aggregate and longitudinal analysis of serial calculated glomerular filtration rates revealed abnormal renal function in approximately one third of children at any given time period following transplantation. The renal dysfunction was unrelated to age at transplant, type of transplant, gender, previous transplants, rejection episodes, courses of nephrotoxic drugs, presence of hypertension, or cyclosporin dose. This review supports prior studies which document abnormal renal function following orthotopic liver transplantation in a significant proportion of children.