Two pregnancies after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: A case report

Pregnancy after kidney transplantation: an observational study on maternal, graft and offspring outcomes in view of current literature

Introduction

Pregnancy after kidney transplantation (KTx) is considered to have a high risk of non-negligible complications for the mother, the allograft, and the offspring. With an increased incidence of these pregnancies over the past decades, transplant nephrologists and specialized obstetricians face increasing challenges, with scarce literature regarding long-term outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data from all women with at least one live birth pregnancy after KTx who were followed at our tertiary hospital between 2000 and 2021 to study maternal, graft and fetal outcomes.

Results

Ten patients underwent 14 live birth pregnancies after KTx. Preponderant maternal complications were stage 1 acute kidney injury (43%), urinary tract infections (UTI, 43%), progression of proteinuria without diagnostic criteria for preeclampsia (29%), and preeclampsia (14%). Median baseline serum creatinine at conception was 126.5 µmol/L [median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 49 mL/min/1.73m2], and eGFR tended to be lower than baseline at follow-ups. Overall, there was no increase in preexisting or occurrence of de novo donor-specific antibodies. No graft loss was documented within the 2-year follow-up. There were nine premature births (64%), with a median gestational age of 35.7 weeks. The median birth weight, height, and head circumference were 2,560 g, 45.5 cm, and 32.1 cm, respectively. These measurements tended to improve over time, reaching a higher percentile than at birth, especially in terms of height, but on average remained under the 50th percentile curve.

Discussion

Overall, pregnancies after KTx came with a range of risks for the mother, with a high prevalence of cesarean sections, emergency deliveries, UTI, and preeclampsia, and for the child, with a high proportion of prematurity, lower measurements at birth, and a tendency to stay under the 50th percentile in growth charts. The short- and long-term impact on the allograft seemed reassuring; however, there was a trend toward lower eGFR after pregnancy. With these data, we emphasize the need for a careful examination of individual risks via specialized pre-conception consultations and regular monitoring by a transplant nephrologist and a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine during pregnancy. More data about the long-term development of children are required to fully apprehend the impact of KTx on offspring.

Vitreous hemorrhage in a pregnant woman with a history of simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation: A case report

Pregnancy after simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation (SPKT) carries a high risk of maternal and fetal complications. We report the case of a 39-year-old woman with three consecutive pregnancies with favorable outcomes after SPKT. Within the first year of SPKT, the patient had a spontaneous pregnancy. At 32 weeks of gestation, she underwent an emergency cesarean section (CS) due to severe preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome. The infant was of average birth weight and was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for further management. A second unplanned pregnancy occurred almost nine months after the first. The antenatal assessments for fetal growth, blood glucose, and blood pressure were normal throughout follow-up. Early in her pregnancy, the patient developed an uneventful retinopathy of the left eye. At 37 weeks of gestation, she underwent an elective CS due to a short inter-pregnancy interval and delivered a healthy baby with an average birth weight. At the age of 39 years, the patient had a third unplanned pregnancy. She was diagnosed with seronegative antiphospholipid syndrome. She suffered from bilateral vitreous hemorrhage and was managed successfully with a minimally invasive laser treatment combined with an intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor during her third trimester. At 35 weeks of gestation, the patient presented with labor pain and underwent an emergency CS and delivered a healthy baby with an average birth weight. Pregnancy after SPKT requires a multidisciplinary approach with a careful workup.

Successful Pregnancy in a Kidney-Pancreas Transplanted Patient on LifeCycle Pharma Tacrolimus (LCPT)-Based Immunosuppression

BACKGROUND There has been, to our knowledge, no reports on LifeCycle Pharma tacrolimus (LCPT) taken during pregnancy after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK). Here, we report a 25-year-old female SPK recipient who gave birth to a healthy infant in posttransplant month 32. We analyzed the long-term graft function, obstetric/neonatal course, LCPT dosage, tacrolimus (TAC) levels, concomitant medication, and complications. CASE REPORT Her medical history consisted of type 1 diabetes with chronic nephropathy, arterial hypertension, and atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome with critical deterioration of her general condition requiring clinically indicated early termination of her first pregnancy prior to SPK. SPK was performed according to surgical standards. The immunosuppressive prophylaxis consisted of thymoglobulin, mycophenolate mofetil, standard TAC formulation, and steroids. Due to rapid TAC metabolism, the patient was converted from a standard TAC formulation to LCPT in the first month posttransplant. Her long-term immunosuppression, including the obstetric and peripartal course, consisted of LCPT, prednisolone, and azathioprine. She was normotensive without antihypertensive medication and maintained excellent function of both grafts during the observation period of 48 months posttransplant. All (mostly infectious) complications were reversible, especially temporary polyoma viremia within normal renal function, and 2 episodes of urosepsis. No relapse of her pretransplant episode of atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome occurred posttransplant. Her child is in good health at the age of 12 months without any malformations. CONCLUSIONS This case suggests that pregnancy after SPK under LCPT is feasible. Further studies are needed to expand the empirical knowledge surrounding tacrolimus.

IVF pregnancy after kidney transplantation: clinical case and literature review

Kidney transplantation (KT), the optimal treatment for stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD), restores impaired fertility in most women of reproductive age. However, infertility occurs in some patients after successful KT. We present our own experience of overcoming secondary tubal infertility by in vitro fertilization (IVF). The patient was a 36-year-old with a transplanted kidney, who had lost two pregnancies in the past due to severe preeclampsia (PE). After the second attempt on cryo-thawed embryo transfer against the background of hormone replacement therapy, one embryo was transferred into the uterus, resulting in pregnancy. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was diagnosed in the first trimester, and a diet was prescribed. Immunosuppression with tacrolimus, azathioprine and methylprednisolone, prophylaxis of PE with low molecular weight heparin and antiplatelet drugs were administered during pregnancy. Elective cesarean section was performed at 37–38 weeks and a healthy boy was born, weighing 2760 g (25th percentile), 48 cm tall (36th percentile). A stay in the neonatal intensive care unit was not required. The baby is growing and developing normally, the mother’s renal graft function is satisfactory. So, IVF can be successfully used in post-KT patients with infertility issues, provided that the IVF program is carefully controlled, and the pregnancy is managed in a multidisciplinary manner.

Pregnancy outcomes for simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney transplant recipients versus kidney transplant recipients

Data about pregnancy outcomes for simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant recipients (SPKR) are limited. We compared pregnancy outcomes in SPKR to Kidney Transplant Recipients (KTR) from 2001-17 using the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) Registry and the Australian and New Zealand Pancreas Islet Transplant Registry (ANZPITR). A total of 19 pregnancies to 15 SPKR mothers, and 348 pregnancies to 235 KTR mothers were reported. Maternal ages were similar (SPKR 33.9 ± 3.9 years; KTR 32.1 ± 4.8 years, p = .10); however, SPKR had a shorter transplant to first-pregnancy interval compared to KTR (SPKR 3.3 years, IQR (1.7, 4.1); KTR 5 years, IQR (2.6, 8.7), p = .02). Median difference in creatinine pre- and post-pregnancy was similar between the groups (KTR -3 µmol/L, IQR (-15, 6), SPKR -3 µmol/L, IQR (-11, 3), p = .86). Maternal, fetal and kidney transplant outcomes were similar despite higher rates of pre-existing peripheral vascular and coronary artery diseases in SPKR. Live birth rates (>20 weeks) were comparable (SPKR 93.8% vs. KTR 96.8%, p = .06). KTR with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus (24 births) had similar outcomes compared to SPKR. In this national cohort, pregnancy outcomes were similar between SPKR and KTR mothers; however, findings should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes.