Rapid decrease in eGFR with concomitant use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and renin–aldosterone–angiotensin system inhibitors in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, TKI-related chronic renal toxicity has been reported, particularly in patients with hypertension. We assessed whether incidental use of specific types of antihypertensive drugs, including renin – aldosterone – angiotensin system inhibitors (RAASis), affects the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during TKI treatment. We retrospectively analyzed all eGFR measurements during TKI treatment for 142 CML patients at Kyushu University Hospital, estimating the rate of eGFR change using a mixed-effects model. Overall, a significant interaction was found between the type of antihypertensive medication used and the yearly change in eGFR ( P < 0.01), with RAASi users exhibiting the most rapid decrease in eGFR (− 5.5%/year). The analysis by TKI used showed that the interaction was significant only in imatinib and bosutinib users ( P < 0.01 and P = 0.04, respectively). The yearly rate of eGFR decrease was the most notable in RAASi users, at − 5.7 (− 6.6, − 4.9) and − 10.1 (− 12.3, − 7.9) for imatinib and bosutinib users, respectively. Our findings indicate that eGFR should be carefully monitored in patients taking these TKIs.