Xingxing Shelley Cheng - Stanford Profiles

Xingxing Shelley Cheng

Assistant Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) and, by courtesy, of Surgery (Abdominal Transplantation) and of Health Policy

Medicine - Nephrology

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Bio

Dr. Xingxing Cheng is a practising transplant nephrologist and a clinical investigator with an expertise in decision science. Her clinical practice includes kidney transplant readiness, kidney transplant aftercare, and multi-organ transplantation.Her overarching research goal is to make better decisions based on the existing technology and state of knowledge. Her active research program is on improving kidney transplant access through better systems design, including but not limited to clinical workflow, kidney transplant program operations, and financing. Her research is supported by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).

Clinical Focus

• Nephrology
• Transplant nephrology
• Kidney failure in the setting of advanced liver disease

Academic Appointments

• Assistant Professor - University Medical Line, Medicine - Nephrology
• Assistant Professor - University Medical Line (By courtesy), Surgery - Abdominal Transplantation
• Assistant Professor - University Medical Line (By courtesy), Health Policy
• Member, Cardiovascular Institute

Honors & Awards

• Young Innovator Award, American Society of Transplantation (2016, 2020)
• Young Investigator Forum 2nd Place in Clinical Sciences, National Kidney Foundation (2017)
• Career Development Award, American Heart Association (2019-2022)
• K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, National Institute of Health - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2020-2025)
• R03 Small Research Grant, National Institute of Health - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (2023-2025)

Professional Education

• Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Nephrology (2016)
• Medical Education: Washington University School Of Medicine (2011) MO
• Fellowship: Stanford University Transplant Nephrology Fellowship (2018) CA
• Fellowship: Stanford University Nephrology Fellowship (2017) CA
• BS, University of British Columbia, Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2007)
• BA, University of British Columbia, English (2007)
• MS, Stanford University, Health Services Research (2017)
• Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital Internal Medicine Residency (2014) MA
• Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Internal Medicine (2014)

Contact

• Academic [email protected] University - Faculty Department: Medicine - Med/Nephrology Position: Asst Prof-Univ Med Line

• Clinical (Primary) Surgical Specialties Clinic 300 Pasteur Dr A160 Stanford, CA 94305
  • (650) 736-7102 (office)
  (650) 723-8305 (fax)

Additional Clinical Info

• Stanford Health Care

Additional Info

• Mail Code: 5309
• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0542-8749

Current Research and Scholarly Interests

Dr. Xingxing Cheng's expertise is in applying the tools of decision science to clinical practice and policy analysis. Her current research is in the following areas:1) the costs, effectiveness, and implementation of work-up before kidney transplantation, including pretransplant cardiovascular screening;2) ethics of and decision-making in in multi-organ transplantation.

Graduate and Fellowship Programs

• Health Services Research (Masters Program)
• Nephrology (Fellowship Program)

All Publications

• The Medical Costs of Determining Eligibility and Waiting for a Kidney Transplantation. Medical care Xu, K., Dor, A., Mohanty, S., Han, J., Parvathinathan, G., Braggs-Gresham, J. L., Held, P. J., Roberts, J. P., Vaughan, W., Tan, J. C., Scandling, J. D., Chertow, G. M., Busque, S., Cheng, X. S. 2024

  Abstract

  Recent efforts to increase access to kidney transplant (KTx) in the United States include increasing referrals to transplant programs, leading to more pretransplant services. Transplant programs reconcile the costs of these services through the Organ Acquisition Cost Center (OACC).The aim of this study was to determine the costs associated with pretransplant services by applying microeconomic methods to OACC costs reported by transplant hospitals.For all US adult kidney transplant hospitals from 2013 through 2018 (n=193), we crosslinked the total OACC costs (at the hospital-fiscal year level) to proxy measures of volumes of pretransplant services. We used a multiple-output cost function, regressing total OACC costs against proxy measures for volumes of pretransplant services and adjusting for patient characteristics, to calculate the marginal cost of each pretransplant service.Over 1015 adult hospital-years, median OACC costs attributable to the pretransplant services were $5 million. Marginal costs for the pretransplant services were: initial transplant evaluation, $9k per waitlist addition; waitlist management, $2k per patient-year on the waitlist; deceased donor offer management, $1k per offer; living donor evaluation, procurement and follow-up: $26k per living donor. Longer time on dialysis among patients added to the waitlist was associated with higher OACC costs at the transplant hospital.To achieve the policy goals of more access to KTx, sufficient funding is needed to support the increase in volume of pretransplant services. Future studies should assess the relative value of each service and explore ways to enhance efficiency.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/MLR.0000000000002028

  View details for PubMedID 38889200

• Emerging Evidence on Coronary Heart Disease Screening in Kidney and Liver Transplantation Candidates: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association: Endorsed by the American Society of Transplantation CIRCULATION Cheng, X. S., VanWagner, L. B., Costa, S. P., Axelrod, D. A., Bangalore, S., Norman, S. P., Herzog, C. A., Lentine, K. L., Amer Heart Assoc Council Kidney Ca, Council Cardiovasc Radiology Inter 2022; 146 (21): E299-E324

  Abstract

  Coronary heart disease is an important source of mortality and morbidity among kidney transplantation and liver transplantation candidates and recipients and is driven by traditional and nontraditional risk factors related to end-stage organ disease. In this scientific statement, we review evidence from the past decade related to coronary heart disease screening and management for kidney and liver transplantation candidates. Coronary heart disease screening in asymptomatic kidney and liver transplantation candidates has not been demonstrated to improve outcomes but is common in practice. Risk stratification algorithms based on the presence or absence of clinical risk factors and physical performance have been proposed, but a high proportion of candidates still meet criteria for screening tests. We suggest new approaches to pretransplantation evaluation grounded on the presence or absence of known coronary heart disease and cardiac symptoms and emphasize multidisciplinary engagement, including involvement of a dedicated cardiologist. Noninvasive functional screening methods such as stress echocardiography and myocardial perfusion scintigraphy have limited accuracy, and newer noninvasive modalities, especially cardiac computed tomography-based tests, are promising alternatives. Emerging evidence such as results of the 2020 International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness With Medical and Invasive Approaches-Chronic Kidney Disease trial emphasizes the vital importance of guideline-directed medical therapy in managing diagnosed coronary heart disease and further questions the value of revascularization among asymptomatic kidney transplantation candidates. Optimizing strategies to disseminate and implement best practices for medical management in the broader end-stage organ disease population should be prioritized to improve cardiovascular outcomes in these populations.

  View details for DOI 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001104

  View details for Web of Science ID 000886687700001

  View details for PubMedID 36252095

• Trends in Cost Attributable to Kidney Transplantation Evaluation and Waiting List Management in the United States, 2012-2017. JAMA network open Cheng, X. S., Han, J., Braggs-Gresham, J. L., Held, P. J., Busque, S., Roberts, J. P., Tan, J. C., Scandling, J. D., Chertow, G. M., Dor, A. 2022; 5 (3): e221847

  Abstract

  Importance: While recent policy reforms aim to improve access to kidney transplantation for patients with end-stage kidney disease, the cost implications of kidney waiting list expansion are not well understood. The Organ Acquisition Cost Center (OACC) is the mechanism by which Medicare reimburses kidney transplantation programs, at cost, for costs attributable to kidney transplantation evaluation and waiting list management, but these costs have not been well described to date.Objectives: To describe temporal trends in mean OACC costs per kidney transplantation and to identify factors most associated with cost.Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation included all kidney transplantation waiting list candidates and recipients in the United States from 2012 to 2017. A population-based study of cost center reports was conducted using data from all Center of Medicare & Medicaid-certified transplantation hospitals. Data analysis was conducted from June to August 2021.Exposures: Year, local price index, transplantation and waiting list volume of transplantation program, and comorbidity burden.Main Outcomes and Measures: Mean OACC costs per kidney transplantation.Results: In 1335 hospital-years from 2012 through 2017, Medicare's share of OACC costs increased from $0.95 billion in 2012 to $1.32 billion in 2017 (3.7% of total Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease program expenditure). Median (IQR) OACC costs per transplantation increased from $81 000 ($66 000 to $103 000) in 2012 to $100 000 ($82 000 to $125 000) in 2017. Kidney organ procurement costs contributed to 36% of mean OACC costs per transplantation throughout the study period. During the study period, transplantation hospitals experienced increases in kidney waiting list volume, kidney waiting list active volume, kidney transplantation volume, and comorbidity burden. For a median-sized transplantation program, mean OACC costs per transplantation decreased with more transplants (-$3500 [95% CI, -$4300 to -$2700] per 10 transplants; P 0.3). PC-AKI occurred in none.Low-CM third-generation-DSCT achieves good IQ in TAVR candidates with CKD, and seems safe, with no apparent renal function deterioration or prevalence of PC-AKI. However, standard-CM protocols in non-CKD patients provide higher measurement reproducibility. Low-CM protocols should therefore be reserved for patients at high risk for PC-AKI.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ejrad.2020.108826

  View details for PubMedID 32000074

• Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in Diagnosing Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cardiorenal medicine Cheng, X. S., Mohanty, S. n., Turner, V. n., Mastrodicasa, D. n., Winther, S. n., Fleischmann, D. n., Tan, J. C., Fearon, W. F. 2020: 1–8

  Abstract

  Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is emerging as an important noninvasive testing modality for coronary angiography. The performance characteristic of CCTA in patients with advanced kidney disease is unknown.We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies specifically investigating the sensitivity and specificity of CCTA compared to coronary angiogram as a reference standard in patients with advanced kidney disease, defined as dialysis dependence or nearing kidney transplantation. Two independent investigators assessed studies for inclusion/exclusion, quality, and characteristics, while a third investigator adjudicated.We identified 4 studies including a total of 217 patients, of whom 159 were dialysis dependent. Three of the 4 studies had a high risk of bias in patient selection and study flow, while 1 study rated low in all areas of bias. The studies were heterogeneous in their patient selection and CCTA protocol but consistent in their definition of obstructive coronary artery disease. The pooled sensitivity and specificity for CCTA were 0.96 (0.87-0.99) and 0.66 (0.57-0.74), respectively. When we restricted the analysis to dialysis-dependent patients, the pooled sensitivity and specificity for CCTA were 0.99 (0.74-1.00) and 0.67 (0.49-0.82), respectively.Based on limited data, CCTA appears to have comparable sensitivity but lower specificity relative to the non-kidney disease population.

  View details for DOI 10.1159/000510402

  View details for PubMedID 33321489

• To Kidney or Not to Kidney: Applying Lessons Learned from the Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant Policy to Simultaneous Heart-Kidney Transplantation. Clinical transplantation Cheng, X. S., Khush, K. K., Wiseman, A. n., Teuteberg, J. n., Tan, J. C. 2020

  Abstract

  As the medical community is increasingly offering transplantation to patients with increasing comorbidity burdens, the number of simultaneous heart-kidney (SHK) transplants is rising in the United States. How to determine eligibility for SHK transplant versus heart transplant alone is an important unknown. In this review, we situate this problem in the broader picture of organ shortage. We critically appraise available literature on outcomes in SHK versus heart transplant alone. We posit staged kidney-after-heart transplantation as a plausible alternative to SHK transplantation and review the pros and cons. Drawing lessons from the field of simultaneous liver-kidney transplant, we argue for an analogous policy for SHK transplant with standardized minimal eligibility criteria and a modified Safety Net provision. The new policy will serve as a starting point for comparing simultaneous versus staged approaches and refining the medical eligibility criteria for SHK.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/ctr.13878

  View details for PubMedID 32279361

• Simultaneous Coccidioidomycosis and Phaeohyphomycosis in a Kidney Transplant Recipient: A Case Report and Literature Review. Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society Puing, A. G., Couture-Cossette, A. n., Wang, A. X., Zygourakis, C. C., Cheng, X. n., Stevens, B. A., Banaei, N. n., Novoa, R. A., Ho, D. Y., Subramanian, A. n. 2020: e13365

  Abstract

  Advances in solid organ transplantation have improved the survival of end-stage organ disease at the expense of an increased risk for opportunistic infections. Unusual clinical presentations and the possibility of concurrent infections make diagnosing invasive fungal infection (IFI) more difficult. Here we present a case of simultaneous vertebral infection caused by Coccidioides immitis-posadasii and subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to Nigrograna mackinnonii in a kidney transplant recipient. The diagnosis of both infections required invasive procedures to obtain tissue and a high index of suspicion that more than one IFI could be present. A multidisciplinary team approach for the management of immunocompromised patients with suspected or diagnosed IFI is warranted.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/tid.13365

  View details for PubMedID 32533741

• Toward telemedicine-compatible physical functioning assessments in kidney transplant candidates. Clinical transplantation Watford, D. J., Cheng, X. S., Han, J. n., Stedman, M. R., Chertow, G. M., Tan, J. C. 2020: e14173

  Abstract

  Frailty is associated with adverse kidney transplant outcomes and can be assessed by subjective and objective metrics. There is increasing recognition of the value of metrics obtainable remotely. We compared the self-reported SF-36 physical functioning subscale score (SF-36 PF) with in-person physical performance tests (6-minute walk and sit-to-stand) in a prospective cohort of kidney transplant candidates. We assessed each metric's ability to predict time to the composite outcome of waitlist removal or death, censoring at transplant. We built time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves and calculated the area under the curve [AUC(t)] at 1 year, using bootstrapping for internal validation. In 199 patients followed for a median of 346 days, 41 reached the composite endpoint. Lower SF-36 PF scores were associated with higher risk of waitlist removal/death, with every 10-point decrease corresponding to a 16% increase in risk. All models showed an AUC(t) of 0.83-0.84 that did not contract substantially after internal validation. Among kidney transplant candidates, SF-36 PF, obtainable remotely, can help to stratify the risk of waitlist removal or death, and may be used as a screening tool for poor physical functioning in ongoing candidate evaluation, particularly where travel, increasing patient volume, or other restrictions challenge in-person assessment.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/ctr.14173

  View details for PubMedID 33247983

• Physical Performance Testing in Kidney Transplant Candidates at the Top of the Waitlist. American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation Cheng, X. S., Myers, J. n., Han, J. n., Stedman, M. R., Watford, D. J., Lee, J. n., Discipulo, K. V., Chan, K. N., Chertow, G. M., Tan, J. C. 2020

  Abstract

  Frailty and poor physical function are associated with adverse kidney transplant outcomes, but how to incorporate this knowledge into clinical practice is uncertain. We studied the association between measured physical performance and clinical outcomes among patients on kidney transplant waitlists.Prospective observational cohort study.We studied consecutive patients evaluated in our Transplant Readiness Assessment Clinic, a top-of-the-waitlist management program, from May 2017 through December 2018 (N=305). We incorporated physical performance testing, including the 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and the sit-to-stand (STS) test, into routine clinical assessments.6MWT and STS test results.Primary - Time to adverse waitlist outcomes (removal from waitlist or death). Secondary - Time to transplantation, time to death.We used linear regression to examine the relationship between clinical characteristics and physical performance test results. We used subdistribution hazards models to examine the association between physical performance test results and outcomes.Median 6MWT and STS results were 393 meters (25th- 75th percentile range 305-455) and 17 repetitions (25th- 75th percentile range 12-21), respectively. Clinical characteristics and Estimated Post-Transplant Survival scores only accounted for 14-21% of the variance in 6MWT/STS results. 6MWT/STS results were associated with adverse waitlist outcomes (adjusted subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR] of 1.42 [95% confidence interval 1.30-1.56 per 50-meter lower in 6MWT and 1.53 [95% confidence interval 1.33-1.75] per 5-repetition lower in STS), and with transplantation (adjusted sHR of 0.80 [95% confidence interval 0.72-0.88] per 50-meter lower in 6MWT and 0.80 [95% confidence interval 0.71-0.89] per 5-repetition lower in STS). Addition of either STS or 6MWT to survival models containing clinical characteristics enhanced fit (likelihood ratio test p1 tool. Among programs that measure frailty, 53% reported being less likely to list frail patients for KT.Among US KT programs, frailty is recognized as a clinically relevant construct and is commonly measured at evaluation. However, there is considerably heterogeneity in the tools used to measure frailty. Efforts to identify optimal measurement of frailty using either an existing or novel tool and subsequent standardization of its measurement and application across KT programs should be considered.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/TP.0000000000002779

  View details for PubMedID 31343576

• A large, international study on post-transplant glomerular diseases: the TANGO project BMC NEPHROLOGY Uffing, A., Jose Perez-Saez, M., La Manna, G., Comai, G., Fischman, C., Farouk, S., Manfro, R., Bauer, A., Lichtenfels, B., Mansur, J. B., Tedesco-Silva, H., Kirsztajn, G. M., Manonelles, A., Bestard, O., Riella, M., Hokazono, S., Arias-Cabrales, C., David-Neto, E., Ventura, C., Akalin, E., Mohammed, O., Khankin, E. V., Safa, K., Malvezzi, P., O'Shaughnessy, M., Cheng, X. S., Cravedi, P., Riella, L. V. 2018; 19: 229

  Abstract

  Long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation (KT) have not significantly improved during the past twenty years. Despite being a leading cause of graft failure, glomerular disease (GD) recurrence remains poorly understood, due to heterogeneity in disease pathogenesis and clinical presentation, reliance on histopathology to confirm disease recurrence, and the low incidence of individual GD subtypes. Large, international cohorts of patients with GD are urgently needed to better understand the disease pathophysiology, predictors of recurrence, and response to therapy.The Post-TrANsplant GlOmerular Disease (TANGO) study is an observational, multicenter cohort study initiated in January 2017 that aims to: 1) characterize the natural history of GD after KT, 2) create a biorepository of saliva, blood, urine, stools and kidney tissue samples, and 3) establish a network of patients and centers to support novel therapeutic trials. The study includes 15 centers in America and Europe. Enrollment is open to patients with biopsy-proven GD prior to transplantation, including IgA nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, dense-deposit disease, C3 glomerulopathy, complement- and IgG-positive membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis or membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I-III (old classification). During phase 1, patient data will be collected in an online database. The biorepository (phase 2) will involve collection of samples from patients for identification of predictors of recurrence, biomarkers of disease activity or response to therapy, and novel pathogenic mechanisms. Finally, through phase 3, we will use our multicenter network of patients and centers to launch interventional studies.Most prior studies of post-transplant GD recurrence are single-center and retrospective, or rely upon registry data that frequently misclassify the cause of kidney disease. Systematically determining GD recurrence rates and predictors of clinical outcomes is essential to improving post-transplant outcomes. Furthermore, accurate molecular phenotyping and biomarker development will allow better understanding of individual GD pathogenesis, and potentially identify novel drug targets for GD in both native and transplanted kidneys. The TANGO study has the potential to tackle GD recurrence through a multicenter design and a comprehensive biorepository.

  View details for PubMedID 30208881

• Native Kidney Cytomegalovirus Nephritis and Cytomegalovirus Prostatitis in a Kidney Transplant Recipient. Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation Society Tan, S. K., Cheng, X. S., Kao, C., Weber, J., Pinsky, B. A., Gill, H. S., Busque, S., Subramanian, A. K., Tan, J. C. 2018: e12998

  Abstract

  We present a case of cytomegalovirus (CMV) native kidney nephritis and prostatitis in a CMV D+/R- kidney transplant recipient who had completed six months of CMV prophylaxis four weeks prior to the diagnosis of genitourinary CMV disease. The patient had a history of benign prostatic hypertrophy and urinary retention that required self-catheterization to relieve high post-voiding residual volumes. At 7 months post-transplant, he was found to have a urinary tract infection, moderate hydronephrosis of the transplanted kidney, and severe hydroureteronephrosis of the native left kidney and ureter, and underwent native left nephrectomy and transurethral resection of the prostate. Histopathologic examination of kidney and prostate tissue revealed CMV inclusions consistent with invasive CMV disease. This case highlights that CMV may extend beyond the kidney allograft to involve other parts of the genitourinary tract, including the native kidneys and prostate. Furthermore, we highlight the tissue-specific risk factors that preceded CMV tissue invasion. In addition to concurrent diagnoses, health care providers should have a low threshold for considering late-onset CMV disease in high-risk solid organ transplant recipients presenting with signs and symptoms of genitourinary tract pathology. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  View details for PubMedID 30203504

• Underutilization of Hepatitis C Virus Seropositive Donor Kidneys in the United States in the Current Opioid Epidemic and Direct-Acting Antiviral Era. Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) Li, A. A., Cholankeril, G., Cheng, X. S., Tan, J. C., Kim, D., Toll, A. E., Nair, S., Ahmed, A. 2018; 6 (3)

  Abstract

  In recent years, the opioid epidemic and new hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatments have changed the landscape of organ procurement and allocation. We studied national trends in solid organ transplantation (2000⁻2016), focusing on graft utilization from HCV seropositive deceased donors in the pre-2014 (2000⁻2013) versus current (2014⁻2016) eras with a retrospective analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing database. During the study period, HCV seropositive donors increased from 181 to 661 donors/year. The rate of HCV seropositive donor transplants doubled from 2014 to 2016. Heart and lung transplantation data were too few to analyze. A higher number of HCV seropositive livers were transplanted into HCV seropositive recipients during the current era: 374 versus 124 liver transplants/year. Utilization rates for liver transplantation reached parity between HCV seropositive and non-HCV donors. While the number of HCV seropositive kidneys transplanted to HCV seropositive recipients increased from 165.4 to 334.7 kidneys/year from the pre-2014 era to the current era, utilization rates for kidneys remained lower in HCV seropositive than in non-HCV donors. In conclusion, relative underutilization of kidneys from HCV seropositive versus non-HCV donors has persisted, in contrast to trends in liver transplantation.

  View details for PubMedID 29996536

• Comparing Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant Strategies: A Modified Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Transplantation Cheng, X. S., Kim, W. R., Tan, J. C., Chertow, G. M., Goldhaber-Fiebert, J. 2018

  Abstract

  BACKGROUND: The proportion of patients with kidney failure at time of liver transplantation is at an historic high in the United States. The optimal timing of kidney transplantation with respect to the liver transplant is unknown.METHODS: We used a modified cost-effectiveness analysis to compare four strategies: the old system ("pre-OPTN"), the new Organ Procurement Transplant Network (OPTN) system since August 10, 2017 ("OPTN"), and two strategies which restrict simultaneous liver-kidney transplants ("safety net" and "stringent"). We measured "cost" by deployment of deceased donor kidneys (DDKs) to liver transplant recipients and effectiveness by life years (LYs) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in liver transplant recipients. We validated our model against Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients data.RESULTS: The OPTN, safety net and stringent strategies were on the efficient frontier. By rank order, OPTN > safety net > stringent strategy in terms of LY, QALY and DDK deployment. The pre-OPTN system was dominated, or outperformed, by all alternative strategies. The incremental LY per DDK between the strategies ranged from 1.30 to 1.85. The incremental QALY per DDK ranged from 1.11 to 2.03.CONCLUSION: These estimates quantify the "organ"-effectiveness of various kidney allocation strategies for liver transplant candidates. The OPTN system will likely deliver better liver transplant outcomes at the expense of more frequent deployment of DDKs to liver transplant recipients.

  View details for PubMedID 29554056

• Prehabilitation for Kidney Transplant Candidates: Is it Time? Clinical transplantation Cheng, X. S., Myers, J. N., Chertow, G. M., Rabkin, R., Chan, K. N., Chen, Y., Tan, J. C. 2017

  Abstract

  Many patients become frail with diminished cardiorespiratory fitness while awaiting kidney transplantation. Frailty and poor fitness powerfully predict mortality, transplant graft survival, and health care utilization after kidney transplantation. Efforts to intervene with post-transplant physical therapy have been met with limited success, in large part due to high study drop-out. We reviewed the literature on chronic kidney disease and exercise to propose a clinical framework for physical therapy interventions to improve fitness, scheduled for before the transplant. This framework may lead to better patient retention and compliance, and thus demonstrate better efficacy in mitigating the effects of frailty and poor fitness after kidney transplantation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  View details for DOI 10.1111/ctr.13020

  View details for PubMedID 28564126

• Home Dialysis in the Prospective Payment System Era. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology Lin, E., Cheng, X. S., Chin, K., Zubair, T., Chertow, G. M., Bendavid, E., Bhattacharya, J. 2017

  Abstract

  The ESRD Prospective Payment System introduced two incentives to increase home dialysis use: bundling injectable medications into a single payment for treatment and paying for home dialysis training. We evaluated the effects of the ESRD Prospective Payment System on home dialysis use by patients starting dialysis in the United States from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2013. We analyzed data on dialysis modality, insurance type, and comorbidities from the United States Renal Data System. We estimated the effect of the policy on home dialysis use with multivariable logistic regression and compared the effect on Medicare Parts A/B beneficiaries with the effect on patients with other types of insurance. The ESRD Prospective Payment System associated with a 5.0% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 4.0% to 6.0%) increase in home dialysis use by the end of the study period. Home dialysis use increased by 5.8% (95% CI, 4.3% to 6.9%) among Medicare beneficiaries and 4.1% (95% CI, 2.3% to 5.4%) among patients covered by other forms of health insurance. The difference between these groups was not statistically significant (1.8%; 95% CI, -0.2% to 3.8%). Conversely, in both populations, the training add-on did not associate with increases in home dialysis use beyond the effect of the policy. The ESRD Prospective Payment System bundling, but not the training add-on, associated with substantial increases in home dialysis, which were identical for both Medicare and non-Medicare patients. These spill-over effects suggest that major payment changes in Medicare can affect all patients with ESRD.

  View details for DOI 10.1681/ASN.2017010041

  View details for PubMedID 28490435

• Utility in Treating Kidney Failure in End-Stage Liver Disease With Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplantation TRANSPLANTATION Cheng, X. S., Stedman, M. R., Chertow, G. M., Kim, W. R., Tan, J. C. 2017; 101 (5): 1111-1119

  Abstract

  Simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) transplantation plays an important role in treating kidney failure in patients with end-stage liver disease. It used 5% of deceased donor kidney transplanted in 2015. We evaluated the utility, defined as posttransplant kidney allograft lifespan, of this practice.Using data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we compared outcomes for all SLK transplants between January 1, 1995, and December 3, 2014, to their donor-matched kidney used in kidney-alone (Ki) or simultaneous pancreas kidney (SPK) transplants. Primary outcome was kidney allograft lifespan, defined as the time free from death or allograft failure. Secondary outcomes included death and death-censored allograft failure. We adjusted all analyses for donor, transplant, and recipient factors.The adjusted 10-year mean kidney allograft lifespan was higher in Ki/SPK compared with SLK transplants by 0.99 years in the Model for End-stage Liver Disease era and 1.71 years in the pre-Model for End-stage Liver Disease era. Death was higher in SLK recipients relative to Ki/SPK recipients: 10-year cumulative incidences 0.36 (95% confident interval 0.33-0.38) versus 0.19 (95% confident interval 0.17-0.21).SLK transplantation exemplifies the trade-off between the principles of utility and medical urgency. With each SLK transplantation, about 1 year of allograft lifespan is traded so that sicker patients, that is, SLK transplant recipients, are afforded access to the organ. These data provide a basis against which benefits derived from urgency-based allocation can be measured.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/TP.0000000000001491

  View details for PubMedID 28437790

• Validating identification of patients with small vessel vasculitis, with or without renal involvement, using administrative healthcare records. Clinical nephrology O'Shaughnessy, M. M., Cheng, X. S., Montez-Rath, M. E., Lafayette, R. A., Winkelmayer, W. C. 2017; 87 (2017) (3): 159-162

  View details for DOI 10.5414/CN109035

  View details for PubMedID 28102817

• Donation, Not Disease! A Multiple-Hit Hypothesis on Development of Post-Donation Kidney Disease. Current transplantation reports Cheng, X. S., Glassock, R. J., Lentine, K. L., Chertow, G. M., Tan, J. C. 2017; 4 (4): 320–26

  Abstract

  The risks following living kidney donation has been the subject of rigorous investigation in the past several decades. How to utilize the burgeoning new knowledge base to better the risk assessment, education, and health maintenance of donors is unclear. We review the physiologic and epidemiologic evidences on the post-donation state and submit a multiple-hit hypothesis to reconcile the finite elevation in risk of kidney disease after donation with the benign course of most kidney donors.The risk of end-stage kidney disease is higher in kidney donors compared to similarly healthy non-kidney donors. Nonetheless, post-donation kidney disease is uncommon and arises mostly in the setting of other "hits"-either a "first hit" present at birth or a "second hit" acquired later in life.The transplant community's focus should be directed toward (1) personalized risk assessment to inform consent before donation and (2) preventing and treating development of "second hits" following kidney donation.

  View details for PubMedID 29201600

• Management of Renal Failure in End-Stage Liver Disease: A Critical Appraisal LIVER TRANSPLANTATION Cheng, X. S., Tan, J. C., Kim, W. R. 2016; 22 (12): 1710-1719

  Abstract

  Renal failure is a late consequence of end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Even with liver transplantation, pretransplant renal impairment remains a strong predictor of posttransplant mortality. This review seeks to summarize and critically appraise common therapies used in this setting, including pharmacologic agents, procedures (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, renal replacement therapy), and simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation. More experimental extracorporal modalities, eg, albumin dialysis or bioartificial livers, will not be discussed. A brief discussion on the definition and pathophysiologic underpinnings of renal failure in ESLD will be held at the beginning to lay the groundwork for the main section. Liver Transplantation 22 1710-1719 2016 AASLD.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/lt.24609

  View details for Web of Science ID 000389079500011

  View details for PubMedID 27875032

• An electronic alert to decrease Kayexalate ordering RENAL FAILURE Leaf, D. E., Cheng, X. S., Sanders, J. L., Mendu, M., Schiff, G. D., Mount, D. B., Bazari, H. 2016; 38 (10): 1752-1754

  Abstract

  Important safety concerns have recently emerged regarding the use of sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate), a cation-exchange resin commonly used for the treatment of hyperkalemia. We implemented an electronic alert system at a tertiary care academic medical center to warn providers of the safety concerns of Kayexalate. We assessed the number of Kayexalate prescriptions per month, as well as the number of grams of Kayexalate ordered per month, one year before versus one year after implementing the alert. The mean (±SD) number of Kayexalate orders decreased from 123 (±12) to 76 (±14) orders/month (38% absolute reduction, p