LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF RENAL-TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS TREATED WITH LOSARTAN FOR POSTTRANSPLANT ERYTHROSIS

Post-transplant erythrosis (PTE) develops in 9 %-22 % of all renal tra nsplant recipients. Defined as a persistently elevated hematocrit (> 0 .51), it occurs most commonly during the first 2 years post-transplant ation in hypertensive males with excellent allograft function. Several studies have focused on a major role for angiotensin II in PTE pathog enesis, and some case reports have suggested that losartan is an effec tive treatment for PTE. Nevertheless, its long-term safety and efficie ncy have not been reported in renal transplant recipients suffering fr om PTE. We describe four patients successfully treated with losartan f or PTE. Hematocrit remained normal for 21, 18, 15, and 15 months, resp ectively, after the beginning of losartan therapy Mean erythropoietin concentration was not modified by treatment (17 +/- 3.7 mU/ml vs 17 +/ - 3.8 mU/ml) and serum creatinine concentration remained stable. We co nclude that losartan is a safe and effective long-term treatment for P TE.