Absence of the Effect of Pretransplant Body Mass Index on Post Kidney Transplant Outcomes.

Abstract

Obesity has been reported as risk factor for reduced posttransplant graft and patient survival and increased delayed graft function (DGF). The purpose of this work is to analyze the effect of body mass index (BMI) on defined transplant outcomes in patients transplanted under defined guidelines in a kidney transplant program. Review of a prospectively collected database in renal transplant recipients receiving rabbit antithymocyte globulin induction, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, and early corticosteroid withdrawal between 2001 and 2011. This review was conducted in a single abdominal transplant program in the United States. Primary outcome was death-censored graft survival categorized by posttransplant body mass groups. Secondary outcomes included DGF as well as patient survival. Four hundred sixty seven patients were identified. No difference was observed in graft survival or DGF between BMI groups. One-year, death-censored graft survival and patient survival rates ranged from 97.5% to 100% and 96.6% to 100%, respectively. Delayed graft function was uncommon across all BMI groups, ranging from 5.3% to 9.1%, with the lowest incidence in patients with a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m(2). Biopsy-proven acute rejection rates at 1 year were similar across all groups (10.1%-14%) as were estimated glomerular filtration rates were at 1, 3, and 5 years. Our results do not show an effect of BMI on posttransplant outcomes, suggesting that relaxation of BMI criteria may be warranted for recipient selection.