Effect of longitudinal exposure to tacrolimus on chronic kidney disease occurrence at one year post liver transplantation

Cirrhotic patients and older people

The global population is aging, and so the number of older cirrhotic patients is increasing. Older patients are characterised by a risk of frailty and comorbidities, and age is a risk factor for mortality in cirrhotic patients. The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as an aetiology of cirrhosis is increasing, while that of chronic viral hepatitis is decreasing. Also, cirrhosis is frequently idiopathic. The management of portal hypertension in older cirrhotic patients is similar to that in younger patients, despite the greater risk of treatment-related adverse events of the former. The prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma increases with age, but its treatment is unaffected. Liver transplantation is generally recommended for patients < 70 years of age. Despite the increasing prevalence of cirrhosis in older people, little data are available and few recommendations have been proposed. This review suggests that comorbidities have a considerable impact on older cirrhotic patients.

Beyond serum creatinine: which tools to evaluate renal function in cirrhotic patients?

In cirrhotic patients, a high serum creatinine value is an independent mortality factor. Similarly, it is predictive of renal insufficiency after liver transplantation. In these cases, chronic kidney disease is also an independent mortality factor. A relevant evaluation of glomerular filtration rate is crucial, particularly in cases of end-stage liver disease or liver transplantation, and is key for the decision to undertake dual liver-kidney transplantation. Serum creatinine or creatinine-based equations are the most used tools in clinical practice but they significantly overestimate renal function. Equilibrium inulin renal clearance remains the gold standard but is time consuming and expensive. Cystatin C and cystatin C-based equations are less influenced by muscle mass or bilirubin value, but their dosage is not standardized and they are expensive. Pharmacological models using exogenous markers, new kidney biomarkers, Doppler coupled with ultrasounds, and kidney histology could be interesting tools but their indications need to be specified.