Measurement of glomerular filtration rate in lung transplant recipients highlights a dramatic loss of renal function after transplantation.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) after lung transplantation (LT) is underestimated. The aim of the present study was to measure the loss of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) 1 year after LT and to identify the risk factors for developing Stage ≥3 CKD.

Methods: LT patients in the University Hospital of Lyon had a pre- and post-transplantation measurement of their GFR (mGFR), and GFR was also estimated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation.

Results: During the study period, 111 patients were lung transplant candidates, of which 91 had a pre-transplantation mGFR, and 29 had a mGFR at 1 year after LT. Six patients underwent maintenance haemodialysis after transplantation. Mean mGFR was 106 mL/min/1.73 m2 before LT and 58 mL/min/1.73 m2 1 year after LT (P < 0.05) with a mean loss of 48 mL/min/1.73 m2 per patient. The risk of developing Stage ≥3 CKD after LT was higher in patients with lower pre-LT mGFR (odds ratio for each 1 mL/min/1.73 m2 increase: 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.88-0.99). Receiver operator characteristics curves for the sensitivity and specificity of eGFR and mGFR for the prediction of CKD Stage ≥3 after LT found that pre-LT mGFR of 101 mL/min/1.73 m2 and pre-LT eGFR of 124 mL/min/1.73 m2 were the optimal thresholds for predicting Stage ≥3 CKD after LT.

Conclusion: The present study underlines the value of mGFR in the pre-LT stage and found major renal function loss after LT, and consequently two-thirds of patients have Stage ≥3 CKD at 1 year. All patients with a pre-LT mGFR <90 mL/min/1.73 m2 warrant particular attention.