Duplex sonographic measurements in allografted kidneys: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: The measurement of color Doppler sonography indices, such as resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), can help in the evaluation of an transplanted kidney. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between Doppler sonography indices and demographic paraclinical findings in transplanted kidneys.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 47 (27 male and 20 female) unrelated living renal transplanted patients.

Results: The mean age, body mass index (BMI), time since transplantation, pulse pressure index (PPI), intrarenal RI and PI were 38 +/- 13 years, 25 +/- 4.5, 48 +/- 31 months, 0.34 +/- 0.06, 0.69 +/- 0.06, and 1.3 +/- 0.3, respectively. There were significant negative correlations between time since transplantation and intrarenal RI and PI (r=-.38, P<.01; r=-.4, P<.01, respectively). There was a significant correlation between patient age, creatinine clearance, and intrarenal RI (r=.30, P=.039; r=.3, P=.043, respectively). There were no significant correlations between intrarenal RI, PI, and BMI, cyclosporine trough level, PPI, recipient and donor sexes, and rejection episodes. Diabetic patients displayed higher RI (0.76 +/- 0.02 vs 0.68 +/- 0.06, P=.048) and patients with serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level <40 mg/dL had higher PI than patients with HDL >or= 40 mg/dL (1.6 +/- 0.4 vs 1.2 +/- 0.3, P=.006).

Conclusions: Intrarenal RIs did not decrease over a few years after transplantation. They can be a useful, feasible predictor of graft function. However, future multicenter trials should be performed to prove the predictive power of RI determination as a marker of renal function.