Effects of Cinacalcet on Post-transplantation Hypercalcemia and Hyperparathyroidism in Adult Kidney Transplant Patients: A Single-Center Experience

• Published in: Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 15; no. 3; p. e36248
• Main Authors: Alpay, Nadir, Yıldız, Alaattin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Cureus Inc 16-03-2023; Cureus
• Subjects: Amyloidosis; Creatinine; Drugs; Endocrine system; Hemodialysis; Hypercalcemia; Hyperplasia; Hypertension; Immunosuppressive agents; Internal Medicine; Kidney diseases; Kidney transplants; Nephrology; Patients; Phosphorus; Risk factors; Scintigraphy; Transplantation; Tumors; Ultrasonic imaging; hypercalcemia; cinacalcet; secondary hyperparathyroidism; hyperparathyroidism; kidney transplantation
• ISSN: 2168-8184; 2168-8184
• DOI: 10.7759/cureus.36248

Secondary hyperparathyroidism may manifest as hypercalcemia in the post-transplant period. The classical treatment method is parathyroidectomy and the alternative is oral cinacalcet, a calcimimetic agent therapy. We retrospectively investigated the effect of cinacalcet therapy on kidney and patient survival in these patients.
In our single-center, retrospective, observational study, files of 934 patients who underwent renal transplantation in our unit between 2008 and 2022 were reviewed. A total of 23 patients were started on cinacalcet for the treatment of hypercalcemia (calcium > 10.3 mg/dl) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) elevation (>65 pg/ml). Patients with calcium < 10.3 mg/dl and PTH > 700 pg/ml at any time in the follow-up after renal transplantation were included in the study. In addition, the demographic data of the patients, baseline creatine, calcium, phosphorus, and PTH levels at the time of hypercalcemia, parathyroid ultrasonography, parathyroid scintigraphy, creatinine, calcium, phosphorus, and PTH levels in the last controls, and survival status were evaluated.
 The mean age of 23 patients included in the study was 52.7 ± 11 years (minimum: 32; maximum: 66). Of the patients, 16 (69.6%) were male, and 15 (65.2%) were transplanted from a living donor. Parathyroid scintigraphic revealed adenoma in three (13%) patients, hyperplasia in five patients (21.7%), and no involvement in 15 patients (65.2%). Cinacalcet treatment was initiated at a median of 33 months (interquartile range (IQR) = 13-96) after the kidney transplant operation. There was no graft loss in the patients during the follow-up period. Twenty-two patients (95.7%) were alive, and one patient died. The calcium level of the patients decreased from 11.3 ± 0.64 mg/dl to 9.98 ± 0.78 mg/dl (p = 0.001) after cinacalcet treatment. Phosphorus values increased from 2.7 ± 0.65 mg/dl to 3.10 ± 0.65 mg/dl (p = 0.004). On the other hand, there was no significant difference in PTH levels between the initial and final controls (285 (IQR = 150-573) vs. 260 pg/ml (IQR = 175-411), p = 0.650). Also, creatinine levels were similar (1.2 ± 0.38 vs. 1.24 ± 0.48 mg/dl, p = 0.43). Despite cinacalcet treatment, calcium levels did not decrease in eight patients. Complications such as renal dysfunction and pathological fracture did not develop in these patients.
It seems that cinacalcet treatment is a suitable option for patients with hypercalcemia and/or hyperparathyroidism with low drug interactions and good biochemical control after renal transplantation.