Elevated incidence of posttransplant erythrocytosis after simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation

Posttransplant erythrocytosis (PTE) poses a potential risk of thrombosis in kidney transplantation. Clinical observation of our systemically drained simultaneous kidney pancreas transplant (S-SPK) patients showed a higher incidence of PTE and need for phlebotomies. To evaluate the incidence of PTE we analyzed hematocrit (Hct) levels and frequency of phlebotomies in 94 SPK as compared to 174 living donor (LD) recipients and 53 type-I diabetic with kidney transplant only. For study purposes we defined PTE as Hct >50% or the necessity for phlebotomies. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between the transplant type and PTE. We found an increased incidence of PTE in SPK compared to LD (p < 0.001). In the multivariate model, SPK had a 5-fold risk for the development of PTE (AHR 5.3, 95% CI 1.8, 15.9). The incidence of therapeutic phlebotomy was 13% among SPK patients and 4% in LD kidney recipients; 19 patients altogether. A total of 64 units were phlebotomized (48-SPK and 16-LD). Type I diabetic patients with a kidney transplant showed a 0% incidence of PTE. We observed a greater incidence of PTE and phlebotomies in S-SPK compared to LD with kidney only transplant recipients.