Early initiation of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in postrenal transplant period: A study from a state-run tertiary care center

Abstract

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) comprise a drug class, which are potent antihypertensives with renoprotective effects but are grossly underutilized in renal transplant recipients. These drugs have been reported to cause elevated potassium and creatinine levels in some renal transplant patients. There have been no reports of prospective studies on use of ACEi in renal transplant patients in the early post-transplant period. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of an ACEi, when started in the early post-transplant period. In this prospective observational study, we reviewed 78 kidney transplant recipients during the period of January 2012 to March 2017 at our institution. Sixty-four patients were initiated on ACEi therapy within a month of transplantation, while 14 were initiated after one-month post-transplant; the latter was classified as late initiation group. Patients were enrolled when they met the following criteria: declining serum creatinine, improving urine output, and serum potassium <5.5 mEq/L. Exclusion criteria included anaphylaxis to ACEi, use of ACEi or angiotensin receptor blocker for the treatment of post-transplant erythrocytosis, and serum potassium >5.5 mEq/L. Sixty-four patients were studied, 53 (83%) were male and 11 (17%) were female. Mean age was 32 ± 15 years (12-56). Minimum duration of follow-up was six months. For each patient, hemoglobin, serum creatinine, and potassium levels were tested at the beginning of ACEi and at the end of the first, third, and the sixth month. The average potassium and hemoglobin levels did not differ significantly between the groups and were within the normal clinical ranges. While incidence of graft failure did not differ, death with functioning graft was lower in the ACEi group. ACEi can successfully be used in postrenal transplant with beneficial long-term impact on renal function. However, here is a need for further randomized controlled studies to validate this observation.