Effect of hydroxyethylstarch in brain-dead kidney donors on renal function in kidney-transplant recipients

Background Hydroxyethylstarch used as a plasma-volume expander in brain-dead kidney donors has been suggested to induce osmotic-nephrosis-like lesions. We have studied its effect on kidney-transplant function. Methods 52 patients who had received hydroxyethylstarch or iodinated contrast-media before brain death were excluded. 69 other brain-dead patients were prospectively included over 18 months and randomised into two groups. In the hydroxyethylstarch-gelatin group, patients received hydroxyethylstarch up to 33 mL/kg for colloid plasma-volume expansion, and afterwards received modified fluid gelatin. In the gelatin-only group, patients received only modified fluid gelatin as colloid plasma-volume expander. Multiple organs were procured in 29 cases, which included the kidneys in 27 cases (hydroxyethylstarch-gelatin 15, gelatin-only 12). Findings There were no significant differences in the characteristics of patients between the two groups of kidney donors or of recipients (except for a small imbalance in sex in the recipients). During the first 8 days after transplantation, nine of 27 (33%) patients required extrarenal haemodialysis or haemodiafiltration in the hydroxyethylstarch-gelatin group compared with one of 20 (5%) in the gelatin-only group (p=0.029). Serum creatinine concentrations were significantly lower in the gelatin-only group than in the other group (p=0.009). 10 days after transplantation, mean (SD) serum creatinine was, respectively, 145 (70) and 312 (259) mu mol/L. Interpretation These data suggest that hydroxyethylstarch used as a plasma-volume expander in brain-dead donors impairs immediate renal function in kidney-transplant recipients.