Introduction:
Background: Kidney transplantation remains the gold standard for treating end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), but it is associated with various complications. Post-transplant erythrocytosis (PTE), characterized by elevated hemoglobin (>17 g/dL) or hematocrit (>51%) following transplantation, affects 8-15% of recipients. Identifying factors contributing to PTE is critical for managing this condition effectively. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of PTE and associated risk factors in kidney transplant recipients at our center in North-central Nigeria.
Methods:
Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records from January 2022 to August 2024 at Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, Abuja. Patients were evaluated for PTE based on hematocrit levels at 3 months and 6 months post-transplant. Factors examined included socio-demographics, graft function, pre-transplant dialysis, obesity, and prior transplantation. Statistical analyses were performed to assess associations between these factors and PTE
Results:
Results: Out of 179 kidney transplant recipients, 2 (1.1%) were diagnosed with PTE. The remaining 177 patients (98.9%) did not exhibit PTE. Among the recipients with PTE, one experienced allograft rejection and one had stable graft function. The study found no association between PTE and male gender, graft function, pre-transplant dialysis, obesity, or prior transplantation.
Conclusions:
Conclusion: The prevalence of PTE in our cohort is relatively low compared to other reports. Additionally, we did not find associations between PTE and common risk factors such as male gender, graft function, and pre-transplant dialysis. However, these preliminary results may be influenced by the short follow-up period and the low prevalence of PTE observed.
I have no potential conflict of interest to disclose.
I did not use generative AI and AI-assisted technologies in the writing process.