Abstract
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are more likely to develop hyperuricemia and gout. Allopurinol and febuxostat are the most commonly used urate-lowering therapies with established safety and efficacy in CKD patients. The objective of the systematic review is to assess the long-term renal outcomes of allopurinol compared with febuxostat in patients with hyperuricemia and CKD or kidney transplantation. PubMed MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched from inception to December 2019 using the key terms “allopurinol,” “febuxostat,” “xanthine oxidase inhibitors,” “gout suppressants,” “hyperuricemia,” “gout,” “chronic renal insufficiency,” and “kidney transplantation.” Studies with follow-up duration ≥ 12 months were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool. Three retrospective observational studies with follow-up duration ranging from 1 to 5 years were reviewed. Febuxostat patients had a significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate, reduced risk for renal disease progression, and reduced serum uric acid levels compared with allopurinol patients. All studies had a serious risk of bias. Febuxostat may be more renoprotective than allopurinol in patients with both hyperuricemia and CKD based on evidence from small long-term retrospective studies with serious risk of bias. More methodologically rigorous studies are needed to determine the clinical applicability of these results.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Krishnan E (2012) Reduced glomerular function and prevalence of gout: NHANES 2009-10. PLoS One 7(11):e50046. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0050046
Lipkowitz MS (2012) Regulation of uric acid excretion by the kidney. Curr Rheumatol Rep 14(2):179–188. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11926-012-0240-z
Nakagawa T, Mazzali M, Kang DH, Sanchez-Lozada LG, Herrera-Acosta J, Johnson RJ (2006) Uric acid--a uremic toxin? Blood Purif 24(1):67–70. https://doi.org/10.1159/000089440
Li L, Yang C, Zhao YL, Zeng XX, Liu F, Fu P (2014) Is hyperuricemia an independent risk factor for new-onset chronic kidney disease?: a systematic review and meta-analysis based on observational cohort studies. BMC Nephrol 15:12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2369-15-122
Weiner DE, Tighiouart H, Elsayed EF, Griffith JL, Salem DN, Levey AS (2008) Uric acid and incident kidney disease in the community. J Am Soc Nephrol 19(6):1204–1211. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2007101075
Tsai C-W, Lin S-Y, Kuo C-C, Huang C-C (2017) Serum uric acid and progression of kidney disease: a longitudinal analysis and mini-review. PLoS One 12(1):e0170393–e0170393. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170393
Hsu CY, Iribarren C, McCulloch CE, Darbinian J, Go AS (2009) Risk factors for end-stage renal disease: 25-year follow-up. Arch Intern Med 169(4):342–350. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinternmed.2008.605
Xia X, Luo Q, Li B, Lin Z, Yu X, Huang F (2016) Serum uric acid and mortality in chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Metabolism 65(9):1326–1341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2016.05.009
Khanna D, Fitzgerald JD, Khanna PP, Bae S, Singh MK, Neogi T, Pillinger MH, Merill J, Lee S, Prakash S, Kaldas M, Gogia M, Perez-Ruiz F, Taylor W, Liote F, Choi H, Singh JA, Dalbeth N, Kaplan S, Niyyar V, Jones D, Yarows SA, Roessler B, Kerr G, King C, Levy G, Furst DE, Edwards NL, Mandell B, Schumacher HR, Robbins M, Wenger N, Terkeltaub R, American College of R (2012) 2012 American College of Rheumatology guidelines for management of gout. Part 1: systematic nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapeutic approaches to hyperuricemia. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 64(10):1431–1446. https://doi.org/10.1002/acr.21772
Richette P, Doherty M, Pascual E, Barskova V, Becce F, Castaneda-Sanabria J, Coyfish M, Guillo S, Jansen TL, Janssens H, Liote F, Mallen C, Nuki G, Perez-Ruiz F, Pimentao J, Punzi L, Pywell T, So A, Tausche AK, Uhlig T, Zavada J, Zhang W, Tubach F, Bardin T (2017) 2016 updated EULAR evidence-based recommendations for the management of gout. Ann Rheum Dis 76(1):29–42. https://doi.org/10.1136/annrheumdis-2016-209707
Singh JA (2018) Goals of gout treatment: a patient perspective. Clin Rheumatol 37(9):2557–2566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-018-4243-7
Keenan RT, O'Brien WR, Lee KH, Crittenden DB, Fisher MC, Goldfarb DS, Krasnokutsky S, Oh C, Pillinger MH (2011) Prevalence of contraindications and prescription of pharmacologic therapies for gout. Am J Med 124(2):155–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.09.012
Siu YP, Leung KT, Tong MK, Kwan TH (2006) Use of allopurinol in slowing the progression of renal disease through its ability to lower serum uric acid level. Am J Kidney Dis 47(1):51–59. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2005.10.006
Goicoechea M, de Vinuesa SG, Verdalles U, Ruiz-Caro C, Ampuero J, Rincon A, Arroyo D, Luno J (2010) Effect of allopurinol in chronic kidney disease progression and cardiovascular risk. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 5(8):1388–1393. https://doi.org/10.2215/cjn.01580210
Kao MP, Ang DS, Gandy SJ, Nadir MA, Houston JG, Lang CC, Struthers AD (2011) Allopurinol benefits left ventricular mass and endothelial dysfunction in chronic kidney disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 22(7):1382–1389. https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2010111185
Shi Y, Chen W, Jalal D, Li Z, Chen W, Mao H, Yang Q, Johnson RJ, Yu X (2012) Clinical outcome of hyperuricemia in IgA nephropathy: a retrospective cohort study and randomized controlled trial. Kidney Blood Press Res 35(3):153–160. https://doi.org/10.1159/000331453
Tsuruta Y, Kikuchi K, Tsuruta Y, Sasaki Y, Moriyama T, Itabashi M, Takei T, Uchida K, Akiba T, Tsuchiya K, Nitta K (2015) Febuxostat improves endothelial function in hemodialysis patients with hyperuricemia: a randomized controlled study. Hemodial Int 19(4):514–520. https://doi.org/10.1111/hdi.12313
Sircar D, Chatterjee S, Waikhom R, Golay V, Raychaudhury A, Chatterjee S, Pandey R (2015) Efficacy of febuxostat for slowing the GFR decline in patients with CKD and asymptomatic hyperuricemia: a 6-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Kidney Dis 66(6):945–950. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.ajkd.2015.05.017
Tanaka K, Nakayama M, Kanno M, Kimura H, Watanabe K, Tani Y, Hayashi Y, Asahi K, Terawaki H, Watanabe T (2015) Renoprotective effects of febuxostat in hyperuricemic patients with chronic kidney disease: a parallel-group, randomized, controlled trial. Clin Exp Nephrol 19(6):1044–1053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-015-1095-1
Alshahawey M, Shaheen SM, Elsaid T, Sabri NA (2019) Effect of febuxostat on oxidative stress in hemodialysis patients with endothelial dysfunction: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study. Int Urol Nephrol 51(9):1649–1657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-019-02243-w
Hande KR, Noone RM, Stone WJ (1984) Severe allopurinol toxicity. Description and guidelines for prevention in patients with renal insufficiency. Am J Med 76(1):47–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9343(84)90743-5
Dalbeth N, Stamp L (2007) Allopurinol dosing in renal impairment: walking the tightrope between adequate urate lowering and adverse events. Semin Dial 20(5):391–395. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-139X.2007.00270.x
Ernst ME, Fravel MA (2009) Febuxostat: a selective xanthine-oxidase/xanthine-dehydrogenase inhibitor for the management of hyperuricemia in adults with gout. Clin Ther 31(11):2503–2518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinthera.2009.11.033
Hosoya T, Ohno I (2011) A repeated oral administration study of febuxostat (TMX-67), a non-purine-selective inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, in patients with impaired renal function in Japan: pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study. J Clin Rheumatol 17(4 Suppl 2):S27–S34. https://doi.org/10.1097/RHU.0b013e31821d36f2
Shibagaki Y, Ohno I, Hosoya T, Kimura K (2014) Safety, efficacy and renal effect of febuxostat in patients with moderate-to-severe kidney dysfunction. Hypertens Res 37(10):919–925. https://doi.org/10.1038/hr.2014.107
Kim S, Kim HJ, Ahn HS, Oh SW, Han KH, Um TH, Cho CR, Han SY (2017) Renoprotective effects of febuxostat compared with allopurinol in patients with hyperuricemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Kidney Res Clin Pract 36(3):274–281. https://doi.org/10.23876/j.krcp.2017.36.3.274
Liu X, Liu K, Sun Q, Wang Y, Meng J, Xu Z, Shi Z (2018) Efficacy and safety of febuxostat for treating hyperuricemia in patients with chronic kidney disease and in renal transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Exp Ther Med 16(3):1859–1865. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2018.6367
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, Group P (2009) Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med 6(7):e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
Sterne JA, Hernan MA, Reeves BC, Savovic J, Berkman ND, Viswanathan M, Henry D, Altman DG, Ansari MT, Boutron I, Carpenter JR, Chan AW, Churchill R, Deeks JJ, Hrobjartsson A, Kirkham J, Juni P, Loke YK, Pigott TD, Ramsay CR, Regidor D, Rothstein HR, Sandhu L, Santaguida PL, Schunemann HJ, Shea B, Shrier I, Tugwell P, Turner L, Valentine JC, Waddington H, Waters E, Wells GA, Whiting PF, Higgins JP (2016) ROBINS-I: a tool for assessing risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions. BMJ 355:i4919. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i4919
Tsuruta Y, Mochizuki T, Moriyama T, Itabashi M, Takei T, Tsuchiya K, Nitta K (2014) Switching from allopurinol to febuxostat for the treatment of hyperuricemia and renal function in patients with chronic kidney disease. Clin Rheumatol 33(11):1643–1648. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-014-2745-5
Tsuji T, Ohishi K, Takeda A, Goto D, Sato T, Ohashi N, Fujigaki Y, Kato A, Yasuda H (2018) The impact of serum uric acid reduction on renal function and blood pressure in chronic kidney disease patients with hyperuricemia. Clin Exp Nephrol 22(6):1300–1308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-018-1580-4
Lee J-W, Lee K-H (2019) Comparison of renoprotective effects of febuxostat and allopurinol in hyperuricemic patients with chronic kidney disease. Int Urol Nephrol 51(3):467–473. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-2051-2
Sezai A, Soma M, Nakata K, Osaka S, Ishii Y, Yaoita H, Hata H, Shiono M (2015) Comparison of febuxostat and allopurinol for hyperuricemia in cardiac surgery patients with chronic kidney disease (NU-FLASH trial for CKD). J Cardiol 66(4):298–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjcc.2014.12.017
Fuldeore MJ, Riedel AA, Zarotsky V, Pandya BJ, Dabbous O, Krishnan E (2011) Chronic kidney disease in gout in a managed care setting. BMC Nephrol 12:36. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2369-12-36
Stamp LK, O'Donnell JL, Zhang M, James J, Frampton C, Barclay ML, Chapman PT (2011) Using allopurinol above the dose based on creatinine clearance is effective and safe in patients with chronic gout, including those with renal impairment. Arthritis Rheum 63(2):412–421. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.30119
White WB, Saag KG, Becker MA, Borer JS, Gorelick PB, Whelton A, Hunt B, Castillo M, Gunawardhana L, Investigators C (2018) Cardiovascular safety of febuxostat or allopurinol in patients with gout. N Engl J Med 378(13):1200–1210. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1710895
Paul BJ, Anoopkumar K, Krishnan V (2017) Asymptomatic hyperuricemia: is it time to intervene? Clin Rheumatol 36(12):2637–2644. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-017-3851-y
Stamp LK (2017) Major unanswered questions in the clinical gout field. Curr Opin Rheumatol 29(2):171–177. https://doi.org/10.1097/BOR.0000000000000367
Mu Z, Wang W, Wang J, Lv W, Chen Y, Wang F, Yu X, Wang Y, Cheng B, Wang Z (2019) Predictors of poor response to urate-lowering therapy in patients with gout and hyperuricemia: a post-hoc analysis of a multicenter randomized trial. Clin Rheumatol 38(12):3511–3519. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04737-5
Lin YJ, Lin SY, Lin CH, Wang ST, Chang SS (2020) Evaluation of urate-lowering therapy in hyperuricemia patients: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rheumatol:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-019-04893-8
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Disclosures
None.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hu, A.M., Brown, J.N. Comparative effect of allopurinol and febuxostat on long-term renal outcomes in patients with hyperuricemia and chronic kidney disease: a systematic review. Clin Rheumatol 39, 3287–3294 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05079-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-020-05079-3