Association of D-dimers with acute kidney injury in pregnant women: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the association of D-dimers measured at the time of admission with the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in pregnant women. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 625 women who developed AKI and 628 normal pregnant women admitted to our hospital from January 2014 to December 2018. The primary endpoint of the study was the development of AKI in pregnant women, and the secondary endpoint was the development of dialysis and death in women with AKI. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The D-dimer concentration was significantly higher in patients with than without pregnancy-related AKI (PR-AKI). Multivariate logistic regression showed that a D-dimer concentration of >1108 ng/mL was an independent predictor of PR-AKI. The area under the curve of the D-dimer concentration as a prognostic indicator of PR-AKI was 0.652 (95% confidence interval, 0.622–0.683), that for patients with PR-AKI undergoing dialysis was 0.819 (95% confidence interval, 0.709–0.928), and that for patients who died was 0.828 (95% confidence interval, 0.670–0.986). CONCLUSION: The D-dimer concentration is significantly associated with the development of AKI in pregnant patients and may increase the risk of dialysis and death in women with AKI.