The effect of pre-operative methylprednisolone on the incidence of delayed graft function in renal transplantation

Introduction: This study explores the effect of different corticosteroid administration timings on the incidence of slow/delayed graft function. Methods: One hundred and twelve kidney transplants from January 2011 to March 2014 were retrospectively analysed. Thirty-six cases were excluded because they were donor-specific antibody positive (n=16), received thymoglobulin/plasma exchange (n=11), were ABO-incompatible (n=6) or suffered graft loss from vascular thrombosis within the first week post-transplant (n=3). The study period straddled three eras of corticosteroid administration, from intra-operative intravenous (IV) hydrocortisone (Era 1; n=26), to intra-operative IV methylprednisolone (Era 2; n=38) and pre-operative IV methylprednisolone (Era 3; n=12). The primary endpoint was the incidence of slow/delayed graft function. Secondary outcomes included estimated glomerular filtration rate at discharge and 120 and 365 days, rejection (acute and one-year), wound complications, post-transplant diabetes, increase in low-density lipoprotein or body mass index, and cytomegalovirus or BK viraemia within one year. Results: On univariate analysis, pre-operative methylprednisolone was associated with lower incidence of slow/delayed graft function (17%, 55%, 58% in Eras 3, 2, 1 respectively; p=0.041), superior estimated glomerular filtration rate at discharge (median 56, 37 and 43 ml/min for Eras 3, 2, 1 respectively; p=0.033) and at 120 days (median 60, 52, and 46 ml/min for Eras 3, 2, 1 respectively; p=0.017). On multivariate analysis, pre-operative IV methylprednisolone (vs. Eras 1 and 2 combined; odds ratio 4.79 (90% confidence interval 1.16-19.80); p=0.07) and living donor type (vs. deceased; odds ratio 5.56 (90% confidence interval 2.25-13.77); p=0.002) were associated with lower incidence of slow/delayed graft function. Conclusion: Pre-operative methylprednisolone was associated with reduced slow/delayed graft function and improved early estimated glomerular filtration.