Background: eGFR measured by the CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) equation is well-known to be more accurate than MDRD equation in chronic renal disease patients. There has not been any study with large population of kidney recipient and evaluation for long-term graft survival. Thus, we designed this study to evaluate the predictive power of the CKD-EPI equation compared with the MDRD with large single center kidney recipients.

Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 3,026 adult kidney recipients who were followed up for at least 1 year after transplantation. We analyzed discrepancy of eGFR between the two equations, and compared long-term graft survival according to the CKD stage divided by each equation.

Results: Of the 3,026 kidney recipients, living donor kidney transplantations were 2,779 and deceased donor kidney transplantations were 247. Mean age of recipients and donors were 39.3±10.8 and 37.4±11.6 years. Mean follow up duration was 128.6±83.4 months. In terms of discrepancy of the CKD stage at 1 year after transplantation, there was no difference in stage 1 in both equations. The stage 2, 3A, 3B and 4 by the MDRD had 18.3%∼44.1% discrepancy with the CKD stage by the CKD-EPI equation. Graft survival rate according to the CKD stage categorized by the MDRD and CKD-EPI at 1 year after transplantation was different from each other. Graft survival rates sequentially distributed according to the stage categorized by the CKD-EPI but the MDRD did not. The CKD stage 3A and 3B by the CKD-EPI showed significantly different survival rate.

Conclusion: Our data support that CKD-EPI equation has stronger predictive power for long-term kidney graft survival in the transplantation settings. Thus, we recommend that eGFR by the CKD-EPI should be used for evaluation of graft function after kidney transplantation.

« Back to 2013 American Transplant Congress