Pancreas allograft biopsies with positive c4d staining and anti-donor antibodies related to worse outcome for patients

Am J Transplant. 2010 Jul;10(7):1660-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2010.03079.x. Epub 2010 Apr 23.

Abstract

C4d+ antibody-mediated rejection following pancreas transplantation has not been well characterized. Therefore, we assessed the outcomes of 27 pancreas transplantation patients (28 biopsies), with both C4d staining and donor-specific antibodies (DSA) determined, from a cohort of 257 patients. The median follow-up was 50 (interquartile range [IQR] 8-118) months. Patients were categorized into 3 groups: group 1, patients with minimal or no C4d staining and no DSA (n = 13); group 2, patients with either DSA present but no C4d, diffuse C4d+ and no DSA or focal C4d+ and DSA (n = 6); group 3, patients with diffuse C4d+ staining and DSA (n = 9). Active septal inflammation, acinar inflammation and acinar cell injury/necrosis were significantly more abundant in group 3 than in group 2 (respective p-values: 0.009; 0.033; 0.025) and in group 1 (respective p-values: 0.034; 0.009; 0.002). The overall uncensored pancreas graft survival rate for groups 1, 2 and 3 were 53.3%, 66.7% and 34.6%, respectively (p = 0.044). In conclusion, recipients of pancreas transplants with no C4d or DSA had excellent long-term graft survival in comparison with patients with both C4d+ and DSA present. Hence, C4d should be used as an additional marker in combination with DSA in the evaluation of pancreas transplant biopsies.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • Coloring Agents
  • Complement C4b / analysis*
  • Electronic Health Records
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft Rejection / blood
  • Graft Rejection / immunology
  • Graft Rejection / pathology*
  • HLA Antigens / analysis
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Inflammation / etiology
  • Inflammation / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pancreas Transplantation / immunology
  • Pancreas Transplantation / pathology*
  • Peptide Fragments / analysis*
  • Postoperative Complications / immunology
  • Postoperative Complications / pathology
  • Time Factors
  • Transplantation, Homologous / pathology
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Coloring Agents
  • HLA Antigens
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Complement C4b
  • complement C4d