Is uric acid a predictive factor for graft dysfunction in renal transplant recipients?

Hyperuricemia is a common complication in renal transplant recipients, and uric acid (UA) may play a role in renal dysfunction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of UA on chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) in renal transplant recipients. The 133 study subjects included 34 women and 99 men of overall mean age of 34.7 +/- 9.9 years. They underwent renal transplantation between 1998 and 2000. Serum UA levels were measured in the first month after transplantation and then at yearly intervals throughout a 3-year follow-up. In the first month after transplantation, 55.3% of recipients had hyperuricemia (UA > 7 mg/dL in men; UA > 6 mg/dL in women), but, 3 years after transplantation, 84.6% of the subjects had that disorder (P < .001). CAN was diagnosed in 31.5% of the patients at a mean onset of 31.8 +/- 14.3 months after transplantation. Fifty-two percent of these individuals experienced graft failure within 43.3 +/- 20.8 months after transplantation. UA levels were recorded before the development of CAN. There was no association between UA levels and CAN according to a Cox regression analysis (P > .05; relative risk, 1.082; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9-1.3). We concluded that the prevalence of hyperuricemia was higher among recipients than in healthy individuals, but that the UA level did not affect the development of CAN during first 3 years after transplantation.