Background and Objectives: Restoration of normal hemoglobin (Hb) level is an advantage of kidney transplantation (KT). Our aim is to study the magnitude of improvement in Hb levels during the first year of preemptive living donor kidney transplantation (PLDKT).
Patients and Methods: We prospectively studied the Hb levels in two groups of KT patients in Misr Kidney Center and Giza Renal Center from June 2010 to June 2012. Group I included patients who received no pre-KT dialysis (PLDKT) and group II included patients who received pre-KT dialysis for ≤ 6 months. Hb levels were followed and compared directly before discharge and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-KT. Normal Hb level was defined as > 13 g/dl for males and > 12 g/dl for females.
Results: Group I included 30 patients (20 males and 10 females) and group II included 15 patients (9 males and 6 females). On discharge means (± Standard Deviation) of Hb levels between group I (8.39 ± 1.04 g/dl) and group II (8.85 ± 1.52 g/dl) were similar (p=0.23). In group I and inspite of being below the normal values, means of Hb levels after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months were 10.23±1.24 g/dl, 11.20±1.21 g/dl, 11.55±1.36 g/dl, 11.76±1.63 g/dl and 11.97±1.60 g/dl, respectively, with a significant improvement (p=0.00). In group II, means of Hb levels at the same time points were 10.13±1.85 g/dl, 11.55±1.11 g/dl, 12.43±1.33 g/dl, 12.63±1.44 g/dl and 13.07±1.40 g/dl, respectively, with a significant improvement (p=0.00) to reach the normal values after 6 months. The improvement in means of Hb levels were significantly better in group II after 6 months (p=0.048) and 12 months (p=0.048) than in group I.
Conclusion: During the second half of the first post-KT year, the means of Hb levels improved significantly to normal values in group II and to near normal values in group I.