ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the correlation between internal iliac artery calcification and delayed graft function (DGF) and short-term prognosis of kidney transplant recipients. Methods Clinical data of 222 kidney transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed. According to the recovery of renal function, all recipients were divided into the DGF group (n=50) and immediate graft function (IGF) group (n=172). According to whether the recipients were complicated with severe internal iliac artery calcification, DGF and IGF groups were further divided into the high-risk DGF (n=22), low-risk DGF (n=28), high-risk IGF (n=41) and low-risk IGF(n=131) subgroups, respectively. Clinical data of donors and recipients were statistically compared between two groups. The incidences of postoperative DGF and internal iliac artery calcification were recorded. The risk factors of DGF after kidney transplantation, and the correlation between internal iliac artery calcification and clinical parameters were analyzed. Short-term prognosis of recipients with DGF complicated with severe internal iliac artery calcification was evaluated. Results The incidence of DGF was 22.5% (50/222). Among all recipients, 28.4% (63/222) were complicated with severe internal iliac artery calcification. In the DGF group, 44% (22/50) of the recipients were complicated with severe internal iliac artery calcification, higher than 23.8% (41/172) in the IGF group (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that high serum creatinine (Scr) level of donors, male donor, high triglyceride level and severe internal iliac artery calcification of recipients were the risk factors for DGF after kidney transplantation (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Scr≥143 μmol/L of donors and severe internal iliac artery calcification of recipients were the independent risk factors for DGF after kidney transplantation (both P < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that internal iliac artery calcification was weakly correlated with the age of recipients and renal artery anastomosis (both P < 0.05). In the DGF group, the Scr level at postoperative 1 month was significantly higher, whereas the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower than those in the IGF group (both P < 0.05). The eGFR at postoperative 12 months in the high-risk DGF subgroup was significantly lower than those in the low-risk DGF, high-risk IGF and low-risk IGF subgroups (all P < 0.05). Conclusions Internal iliac artery calcification is not only a risk factor for recovery of renal allograft function, but also negatively affects short-term prognosis of renal allograft function.