Routine prophylaxis with proton pump inhibitors and post-transplant complications in kidney transplant recipients undergoing early corticosteroid withdrawal.

Surgical stress, corticosteroids, and mycophenolate may contribute to gastrointestinal ulcers/bleeding after kidney transplantation. Prophylactic acid suppression with H2RAs or PPIs is often utilized after transplantation, although unclear if truly indicated after early corticosteroid withdrawal (CSWD). PPIs have been associated with increased risks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), pneumonia, and acute rejection. This retrospective cohort study investigated benefits and risks of prolonged PPI use following kidney transplantation and included 286 kidney recipients undergoing CSWD within five d of transplant who were maintained on tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil/sodium. Patients on PPI before transplant, H2RA before/after transplant, and/or those with pre-transplant GI complications were excluded. A total of 171 patients received PPI>30 d, mean duration 287 ± 120 d (PPI group); 115 patients were not maintained on acid suppression (No-PPI group). GI ulceration and bleeding events were rare in PPI group (1.2% and 2.3%, respectively) and not observed in No-PPI group (p = NS). The incidence of infectious or hematological complications was not significantly different between groups. The PPI group experienced more biopsy-proven acute rejection (9.4% vs. 2.6%, p = 0.03). No direct benefit was observed with PPI in reducing the incidence of GI ulcers and bleeding events in kidney transplant recipients undergoing early CSWD. Further studies are needed to investigate the association of PPI and acute rejection.