Comparison of vascular access outcomes in patients with end-stage renal disease attributed to systemic lupus erythematosus vs. other causes: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: U.S. hemodialysis patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are less likely than other ESRD patients to have a permanent vascular access (fistula or graft) in place at the dialysis start. We examined whether vascular access outcomes after dialysis start differed for SLE vs. other ESRD patients. METHODS: Among U.S. patients initiating hemodialysis in 2010 with only a catheter (n = 40,911; 384 with SLE) and using a permanent access on first dialysis (n = 13,073; 48 with SLE), we examined the association of SLE status with time to first placement of a permanent access (among catheter-only patients) and to loss of access patency (among patients using a permanent access on first dialysis), both censored 1 year after dialysis start, using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Among catheter-only patients, 46.1 % vs. 54.5 % of those with SLE-ESRD vs. other ESRD had a permanent access placed within 1 year after dialysis start. However, with adjustment, there was no association of 1-year placement with SLE status [HR = 1.00 (95 % CI, 0.86-1.17)]. SLE-ESRD vs. other ESRD patients starting dialysis with a permanent access were less likely to experience a 1-year loss of patency (43.8 % vs. 55.0 %), but this association was not statistically significant after adjustment [HR = 0.88 (0.57-1.37)]. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that SLE-ESRD patients starting dialysis with a catheter are not more likely to have a permanent access placed in the first year of dialysis, despite an observed lack of association of SLE status with subsequent loss of vascular access patency among those starting dialysis with a permanent access. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12882-016-0274-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.