Background: Studies have shown that hyperuricemia (HUA) is an independent risk factor for all-cause death and residual kidney function loss in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The control of blood uric acid (UA) is an important link to improve the prognosis of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). As a therapeutic drug for HUA, febuxostat is rarely studied in PD patients. The purpose of our study is to investigate the safety, efficacy, and effect on residual renal function (RRF) of febuxostat in patients undergoing PD.
Methods: This is a retrospective single-arm cohort study. During the study period which from September 2016 to November 2020, 191 patients underwent PD at this hospital. Among these patients, 84 were administrated for over a period of 3 months and were eventually included. These 84 patients (51 males and 33 females; average age: 55.18 years) were undergoing PD complicated with HUA or gout who received febuxostat during a regular follow-up from January 2018 to November 2020. Serum UA (sUA) levels, blood routine, liver function, and RRF were compared before and after febuxostat administration. Adverse events (AEs) resulting from febuxostat treatment were collected from medical records.
Results: All 84 patients were administered febuxostat for over 3 months, including 39 for over 6 months and 26 for over 12 months. Some 60 patients were treated with febuxostat dose of 20 mg/day and the remaining 24 patients received 40 mg/day. Compared with pretreatment level, the mean sUA level was observed to be markedly reduced at 1 month after febuxostat administration (320.2±87.27 vs. 498.8±81.47 µmol/L, P<0.0001) and at 3 months (291.6±82.66 vs. 498.8±81.47 µmol/L, P<0.0001) and subsequently remained at a significantly low level for 12 months. Only 5 patients stopped febuxostat because of its associated AEs. An initial dose of 40 mg/day was associated with a higher rate of AEs compared with dose of 20 mg/day (25% vs. 18.33%, respectively). After febuxostat treatment, no significant differences were observed between RRF in the two groups.
Conclusions: Febuxostat may be safe and efficient in patients undergoing PD and may not impair RRF. Febuxostat administration at dose of 20 mg/day may be an appropriate dose for patients undergoing PD.
Keywords: Febuxostat; peritoneal dialysis (PD); residual renal function (RRF); safety; urate-lowering efficacy.