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CompletedNCT06730854TransAKIUpdated Dec 12, 2024

Association Between Liver Function Tests and Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery Patients

An observational study in Cardiac Surgery Associated - Acute Kidney Injury and Acute Kidney Injury, sponsored by University Hospital, Ghent. Completed at 1 site in Belgium. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-12-12.

Sponsored by University Hospital, Ghent · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
3,415
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Study summary

A sudden decline in function of the kidneys is a common problem that can happen after heart surgery. It can have serious effects on a patient's recovery and long-term health, potentially leading to permanent kidney problems or heart-related issues. One of the main reasons kidney problems occurs is due to changes in blood flow caused by the heart not pumping well enough. These changes may harm the kidneys, but other organs as well such as the liver.

This study aims to find out if there is a relationship between elevated levels of liver function blood tests and the decline in kidney function.

Read the detailed description

In this study data will be retrospectively collected from the intensive care patient management system for patients admitted postoperatively to the cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) following cardiac surgery. The inclusion period spans from 2012 to 2017 (5 years) and includes about 3,500 patients.

For all included patients, retrospective data collection will include variables related to renal function, fluid balance, hemodynamics, and transaminase levels. Additionally, demographic information, surgical procedure details, comorbidities, and laboratory values will be gathered.

Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CSA-AKI) has a multifactorial etiology influenced by non-modifiable factors such as age, comorbidities (e.g., heart failure/ejection fraction, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes), medication use (NSAIDs, ACE inhibitors/ARBs), type of surgery, duration of surgery/cardiopulmonary bypass time. Central venous pressure (CVP) can serve as a marker of venous congestion, which may contribute to the development of AKI. Venous congestion may also result in elevated transaminase levels.

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the association between postoperative transaminase elevation in the ICU and the development of AKI during the intensive care stay. Data about transaminases will be collected in the first 24 hours after ICU admission. The occurrence of AKI and its severity will be investigated within 72 hours after cardiac surgery. Furthermore, the relationship between the transaminase elevation and the severity of acute kidney injury will be examined, as well as the association between central venous presure (CVP) and transaminase levels postoperatively in the ICU.

Acute kidney injury will be defined according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, with severity classified based on the KDIGO staging system.

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Conditions studied

  • Cardiac Surgery Associated - Acute Kidney Injury
  • Acute Kidney Injury

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Keywords

  • liver enzymes
  • acute kidney injury
  • cardiac surgery
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In context

Acute Kidney Injury

1,641 studies on the registry are indexed under Acute Kidney Injury; 380 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 3,415 is above the median of 156 across 795 observational studies indexed under Acute Kidney Injury.

Browse Acute Kidney Injury studies →

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Ghent is the lead sponsor of 685 studies on the registry; 158 are open to participants now.

Of its 5 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 4 (80%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

The cardiac surgery patients screened for eligibility were admitted on the cardiac surgery intensive care unit of Ghent University hospital between 1 Januari 2012 until 31 december 2017

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 years old or older
  • admission on intensive care after cardiac surgery
  • available data about liver enzymes

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • chronic kidney disease with (estimated) glomerular filtration rate below 30mL/min/1.73 m2 or renal replacement therapy (RRT) dependent
  • patient on extracorporal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) before or after cardiac surgery
  • patient with or planned surgery for Left ventricular assist device (LVAD)
  • inotropics or vasopressore before surgery
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Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
3,415 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Main cohort of patient

    In the included patients the occurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) will be investigated. So patient will be grouped as 'no AKI' and 'AKI' For the subanalysis, patient will be grouped according to their admission central venous pressure. There are no interventions.

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Association between liver enzymes and acute kidney injury

    Investigation of the association between liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (AST); aspartate aminotransferase (ALT)) and development of acute kidney injury. Data about liver enzymes will be collected at ICU admission, and 12 hours and 24 hours after ICU admission. AKI is defined by the Kidney Disease Improving global outcome definition by using both the serum creatinine and urine output criteria.

    Time frame: Data about liver enzymes will be collected at ICU admission, and 12 hours and 24 hours after ICU admission. The occurrence of acute kidney injury within 72 hours after ICU admission will be investigated

Secondary outcomes

  1. Association between liver enzymes and the severity of acute kidney injury

    Investigation of the association between liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (AST); aspartate aminotransferase (ALT)) and the sevirity of the developed acute kidney injury. AKI severity is defined by the Kidney Disease Improving global outcome (KDIGO) classification: stage 1, stage 2 and stage 3. Stage 3 is the most severe form of kidney injury, including the use of renal replacement therapy (RRT)

    Time frame: Data about liver enzymes will be collected at ICU admission, and 12 hours and 24 hours after ICU admission. The occurrence of the different severity stages of acute kidney injury within 72 hours after ICU admission will be investigated

  2. association of central venous pressure with elevated liver enzymes and acute kidney injury

    Investigation of the association between elevated central venous pressure and elevation in liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (AST); aspartate aminotransferase (ALT)) and the development of acute kidney injury (severity)

    Time frame: Data about central venous pressure will be collected during the first 24 hours after ICU admission.

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Study locations

1 site
  • Ghent university hospital
    Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen 9000, Belgium
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References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — Due to European Data Protection regulation, no individual participant data will be shared, only the analysed data.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 12, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06730854
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 12, 2024
Start date
Nov 6, 2024
Primary completion
Nov 6, 2024
Completion
Nov 6, 2024
Last update
Dec 12, 2024

Study contacts

Wim Vandenberghe, MD; PhD
principal investigator · University Hospital, Ghent

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Nov 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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