ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia is a common complication after kidney transplantation, and may adversely affect graft survival. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of and predictors for development of hyperuricemia after renal transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid concentration of at least 7.0 mg/dL in men and 6.0 mg/dL in women. From March 2008 to May 2010, uric acid concentration was measured in 12,767 blood samples from 2961 adult renal transplant recipients (64% male and 36% female patients). RESULTS: Hyperuricemia was observed in 1553 patients (52.4%). The disorder frequently occurred in women (P=.003) and in patients with impaired renal graft function (P=.00). After adjustment for sex, serum creatinine concentration, diabetes mellitus, cyclosporine concentration, and dyslipidemia, only female sex (P=.03) and renal allograft dysfunction (P=.05) were associated with hyperuricemia after kidney transplantation. CONCLUSION: Hyperuricemia is a common complication after kidney transplantation, and renal allograft insufficiency predisposes to higher uric acid concentration.
