Recovery of native renal function in patients with hepatorenal syndrome following combined liver and kidney transplant with Mercaptoacetyltriglycine-3 renogram: Developing a methodology

• Main Authors: Carina Mari Aparici, Sukhkarn N Bains, David Carlson, Jesse Qian, Douglas Liou, David Wojciechowski, Jacob Werner, Sana Khan, Cameron Kroll, Manreet Sandhu, Nhan Nguyen, Randall Hawkins
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: World Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• Subjects: Combined liver and kidney transplant; Economic and Social Research Institute; kidney transplant; renal insufficiency; renogram
• Online Access: http://www.wjnm.org/article.asp?issn=1450-1147;year=2016;volume=15;issue=1;spage=44;epage=49;aulast=Aparici

Many patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) end up receiving a combined liver and kidney transplant (CKLT) with preservation of native kidneys, specially type 1 HRS since is characterizes by a very rapid deterioration of renal function. Eventually, most of the patients regain renal function, but it is unknown if this is due to the transplanted kidney, the recovery of native renal function, or both. The aim of this study is to evaluate if there is recovery of native renal function in patients with HRS following CKLT. 22 patients (16 men; 6 women) with history of HRS and status post CKLT were studied. Mercapto-acetyltriglycine-3 renograms in the anterior and posterior views with the three kidneys in the field of view were simultaneously acquired. The renograms were analyzed by creating regions of interest around the transplanted and native kidneys. Relative contribution to the renal function, clearance, and effective renal plasma flow for the transplanted and native kidneys were obtained. 1/22 (4.5%) patients presented with a very poor functioning transplanted kidney, in 15/22 (68%) cases the combined native renal function was markedly poorer than the transplanted renal function and in 6/22 (27%) native kidneys showed a contribution to the renal function similar to the transplanted kidney. In conclusion, our series show that around 32% of the HRS patients recovered their native renal function after CKLT. Identification of common factors that affect recovery of native renal function may help to avoid unnecessary renal transplants, significantly reducing morbidity and cost, while facilitating a reallocation of scarce donor resources.