Long-Term Outcomes of Renal Transplant in Patients With End-Stage Renal Failure Due to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis

Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus and granulomatosis with polyangiitis are systemic inflammatory conditions associated with renal failure that can recur after renal transplant. Patients with these conditions are treated with chronic immunosuppression, potentially increasing risk of secondary malignancies. Here, we investigated long-term outcomes in renal transplant recipients with these conditions. Materials and Methods: Transplant recipients with end-stage kidney disease due to systemic lupus erythematosus and granulomatosis with polyangiitis seen between 1982 and 2016 at a national kidney transplant center were included. Primary outcome variables were long-term allograft survival and incidence of secondary malignancy. Secondary outcome measures were incidence of delayed graft function, primary disease recurrence, and serum creatinine at follow-up. Results: Ninety-eight transplant procedures (90 from deceased donors) in 92 consecutive patients (mean age 42.3 +/- 14.4 y) were included: 55 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 37 with granulomatosis with polyangiitis. Follow-up duration was 110.53 +/- 81.95 months (range, 1-393 mo). Overall renal allograft survival was 94.7% at 1 year, 85.4% at 5 years, and 75.4% at 10 years posttransplant. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus showed overall allograft survival of 91.6% at 1 year, 84.3% at 5 years, and 74.4% at 10 years. There was 1 allograft failure due to recurrence of primary disease in this group. Patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis showed overall allograft survival of 100% at 1 year, 92.4% at 5 years, and 92.4% at 10 years. There were 21 mortalities, with 5 (23.8%) due to secondary malignancy. In total, 46 malignancies were diagnosed in 31 patients. Conclusions: We found excellent long-term renal allograft survival rates in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and granulomatosis with polyangiitis, with secondary malignancy rates similar to those shown in recipients without autoimmune diseases. These findings provide clinicians with long-term data on transplant recipients with end-stage renal failure due to systemic inflammatory conditions.