Kidney dysfunction in the recipients of liver transplants.

1. Pretransplant kidney function is an important predictor of posttransplant kidney function. 2. Chronic kidney disease is present in 20% of liver transplant recipients by 5 years. 3. Kidney function is impacted by pretransplant management of the consequences of the hepatorenal syndrome. 4. The use of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based immunosuppression is an important factor in the development of chronic kidney disease, and the use of mycophenolic acid- or sirolimus-based immunosuppression with reduced-dose CNI may be of benefit.