Joint pain and arthritis in renal transplant recipients and correlation with cyclosporine therapy

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of joint pain and arthritis in renal transplant recipients and to investigate relationships with various laboratory and clinical parameters. Eighty-two patients who underwent renal transplantation (RT) had joint examinations and reported by questionnaire on levels of joint pain and arthritis. Each individual was then followed by the rheumatology department for 1 year, with joint examination and laboratory tests every 3 months. Thirty-one of 82 patients (37.8%) complained of joint pain before RT, of whom seven reported pain continuing after the operation. Seventeen of the 82 (20.7%) began to suffer joint pain after RT. Six (7.3%) and three (3.7%) of the 82 patients, respectively, developed arthritis before and after transplantation. The study showed that joint pain is common before and after RT. In renal transplant recipients, joint pain significantly correlated with serum cyclosporine levels higher than 200 ng/ml.