Nutrition in renal transplantation.

This study was conducted to determine whether a high-nitrogen, low-carbohydrate diet in the immediate post-operative renal transplant period could result in a positive nitrogen balance and fewer cushingoid side effects. Twelve consecutive nondiabetic renal transplant recipients were randomly assigned to the isocaloric control or experimental diet group. The six patients ingesting the experimental diet achieved positive nitrogen balance whereas five of the six patients on the control diet had a negative nitrogen balance. The nitrogen balance varied directly and proportionately with the protein intake. Potassium balance mirrored the nitrogen balance data. Cushingoid side effects did not develop in any of the six experimental diet patients whereas four of the six control diet patients had evidence of severe cushingoid appearance and two had moderate cushingoid appearance (P = .01). Based upon the findings of this study, we suggest that the renal transplant recipient's diet could be altered to provide more protein and less carbohydrate to improve nitrogen balance and prevent cushingoid features. It is possible that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may be used by additional patients taking steroids for other disease states to prevent cushingoid side effects and improve nitrogen balance.