[Ambulatory blood pressure measurement in children and adolescents with kidney transplants].

Arterial hypertension (HT) is a common complication after renal transplantation. We evaluated ambulatory blood pressure profiles during 24 h in 30 pediatric patients (pts) aged 6-22 years who had been transplanted 2 months to 7 years previously. Creatinine clearance was 14-121 (median 57) ml/min/1.73 m2. Twenty-three pts were being treated with ciclosporin. Sixteen pts received antihypertensive drugs. Using the monitor Nippon Collins 630 (Baxter), blood-pressure (BP) values were taken every 20 min during the day and overnight (10 p.m.-7 a.m.). Five out of 10 pts with elevated office BP readings were normotensive by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Ambulatory hypertension was discovered in one child with normal office BP. Echocardiography was performed in 23 pts. Five of six pts with significant left-ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), but none of the 17 pts without LVH had ambulatory HT (p less than 0.01). The physiological decline of BP during the night was significantly reduced when compared to 21 subjects of similar age with essential HT (-9.2% vs. -15.4%; p less than 0.02); no correlation was found with renal function or prednisone dose. Ciclosporin tended to reduce the day-night gradient (-14.5% vs. -9.2%; p = 0.11). One child showed a severe nocturnal BP rise of 25 mmHg. We conclude that abnormalities of nyctohemeral BP rhythm, as described in transplanted adults, can be observed to a lesser extent in children. ABPM allows a better evaluation of BP compared to office BP and, thus, may contribute to a better management of these patients.