[Transplant renal artery stenosis: long term effect of angioplasty on arterial pressure control and renal function]

We assessed the long-term (M +/- SE: 68 +/- 3 months) arterial pressure and renal function of cadaveric kidney transplant recipients with and without significant (70% diameter reduction) transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) at angiography. Baseline clinical, immunological and outcome data for 26 patients with TRAS (incidence of TRAS: 6.6%) before and following angioplasty and 72 patients without stenosis at angiography were reviewed and analyzed. The 2 groups were similar with respect to recipient sex ratio and age (45 vs 46), duration of transplantation (7 months), cause of renal failure, donor sex and age, HLA-antigen mismatches and titers of anti-HLA antibodies, CMV infection and anti-CMV antibodies in donors and recipients. The technical success of angioplasty was 92.3%. Restenosis was documented in 6/26 patients (23.1%). Revascularization resulted in a decrease of arterial pressure and number of antihypertensive medications and a lower serum creatinine compared to baseline values. The long-term arterial pressure and serum creatinine levels were similar in patients with and without stenosis. In conclusion, TRAS after revascularization had no detectable influence on the long-term arterial pressure control and renal function within a follow-up period of 68 +/- 3 months.