Comparison of Renal Function before and after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Egyptian Patients with Multiple Myeloma and Renal Insufficiency: A Retrospective Study

Renal failure is a common feature of multiple myeloma (MM) that occurs in 20%–40% of newly diagnosed patients with MM and is the result of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains. Many studies have examined the effect of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in MM patients with renal impairment and the safety of performing the transplantation in patients with renal failure. This study aimed to compare renal function before and after ASCT in Egyptian MM patients with renal insufficiency to evaluate the effect of ASCT on renal recovery. Our study included 31 MM patients with renal impairment out of 400 patients who met the criteria of the International Myeloma Working Group for symptomatic MM. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formula was compared before and after the transplant. Only four patients (12.9%) were dependent on dialysis. Six of those with a history of hemodialysis (HD) who were either dependent on dialysis or dialyzed according to need achieved independence from HD. There was no significant correlation between the degree of renal impairment and the disease's status at the time of transplantation (P = 0.86). The study showed significant improvements in serum creatinine levels compared with its value before the transplant (P = 0.016) and in eGFR (P = 0.004). In total, 45% of patients achieved renal improvement, shown by a 25% increase in GFR above the baseline. There was a significant improvement of renal function after ASCT in MM patients with renal impairment.