Incidence of reflux nephropathy (RN) in ESRD and effect of nephrectomy in RN on blood pressure and haematocrit following renal transplantation.

One hundred and fifty cases of end stage renal disease (ESRD) on pretransplant workup showed vesicoureteric reflux (VUR) in 21 (14%). Of these, 15 were primary reflux nephropathy (PRN) whereas 6 were secondary VUR. All patients in PRN group showed grade III to IV reflux while secondary VUR ranged between grade I to II. In the PRN group 38.5% had severe, 23% moderate and 23% mild hypertension; 53.3% were nonoliguric and 46.7% were oliguric. Mean plasma renin activity (PRA) was 6.6 and 2.85 ng/ml/hr in PRN and secondary VUR groups respectively. All cases of PRN and 2 from secondary VUR underwent nephrectomy and a month later renal transplantation. Following surgery blood pressure normalised without therapy in 50% and another 50% required lesser drugs in comparison to age matched non nephrectomised controls who showed hypertension in 100% cases, 60% requiring 3 to 4 drugs combination (p less than 0.05). Risk of low haematocrit in nephrectomised patients was insignificant.