Torque teno virus viremia and QuantiFERON-CMV assay in prediction of cytomegalovirus reactivation in R+ kidney transplant recipients.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most frequent infectious complication following solid organ transplantation. Torque teno viruses (TTV) viremia has been proposed as a biomarker of functional immunity in the management of kidney transplant recipients (KTR). The QuantiFERON-CMV (QF-CMV) is a commercially available assay that allows the assessment of CD8 T-cell responses in routine diagnostic laboratories.

Conversion to mTOR-Inhibitors Plus IV Immunoglobulins in Kidney-Transplant Recipients with BKV Infection: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

BK virus-associated nephropathy (PvAN) increases the risk of graft failure justifying treatment. Conversion to mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORi) and Human polyclonal immunoglobulins (IVIg) could prevent the risk of PvAN. Our retrospective study assessed the efficacy of mTORi associated with IVIg therapy (mTORi±IVIg group) versus standard immunosuppression reduction to clear BKV DNAemia.

Tocilizumab and Active Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplantation: A Literature Review.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public-health problem that increases the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular diseases, and other complications. Kidney transplantation is a renal-replacement therapy that offers better survival compared to dialysis. Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a significant complication following kidney transplantation: it contributes to both short- and long-term injury.

Very Early Severe Posttransplant Recurrent Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Glomerulonephritis after Kidney Transplantation: Two Case Reports.

Successful kidney transplantation (KTx) in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) has been reported with excellent patient and graft survival rates. The recurrence of AAV in transplant recipients is rare, and its mechanisms of action are not clearly known. The optimum time for KTx and the relevance of ANCA titer at the time of transplantation remain controversial.

Tocilizumab in the Treatment of Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection Post Kidney Transplantation: Clinical and Histological Monitoring.

Chronic antibody-mediated rejection (cAMR) has very few effective therapeutic options. Interleukin-6 is an attractive target because it is involved in inflammation and humoral immunity. Therefore, the use of tocilizumab (anti-IL6 receptor, TCZ) is a potential valuable therapeutic option to treat cABMR in kidney-transplant (KT) recipients.

Belatacept Use after Kidney Transplantation and Its Effects on Risk of Infection and COVID-19 Vaccine Response.

Belatacept is a common immunosuppressive therapy used after kidney transplantation (KT) to avoid calcineurin-inhibitor (CNI) use and its related toxicities. It is unclear whether its use exposes KT recipients (KTx) to a greater risk of infection or a poorer response to vaccines. Areas covered: We reviewed PubMed and the Cochrane database.

Immortal Time-Bias-Corrected Survival of Highly Sensitized Patients and HLA-desensitized Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Introduction: In the setting of kidney transplantation (KT), we assessed the efficacy of desensitization and compared the survival of desensitized patients (HLA-incompatible KT) with similarly sensitized patients receiving HLA-compatible KT or sensitized patients still on a waiting list after adjusting for the usually unaccounted immortal time bias.

Methods: All patients in a French KT center on the waiting list between August 1994 and December 2019 with a high level of sensitization (panel-reactive antibodies [PRAs] ≥80%) were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

Early Steroid Withdrawal After Kidney Transplantation in Patients at Risk for New-Onset Diabetes After Transplantation.

Background: New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious complication after kidney transplantation because of worse graft survival and increased risk of cardiovascular events. It is partly induced by immunosuppressive therapies such as corticosteroids. This study aimed to assess whether early corticosteroid withdrawal on day 4 (early steroid withdrawal [ESW] group) could prevent the development of NODAT within 2 years posttransplantation while maintaining good graft and patient survival rates.

Protocol Biopsies on de novo Renal-Transplants at 3 Months after Surgery: Impact on 5-Year Transplant Survival.

Background: In many centers, a protocol kidney biopsy (PKB) is performed at 3 months post-transplantation (M3), without a demonstrated benefit on death-censored graft survival (DCGS). In this study, we compared DCGS between kidney transplant recipients undergoing a PKB or without such biopsy while accounting for the obvious indication bias.

Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study conducted between 2007 and 2013, we compared DCGS with respect to the availability and features of a PKB.

Apheresis Efficacy and Tolerance in the Setting of HLA-Incompatible Kidney Transplantation.

Nearly 18% of patients on a waiting list for kidney transplantation (KT) are highly sensitized, which make access to KT more difficult. We assessed the efficacy and tolerance of different techniques (plasma exchanges [PE], double-filtration plasmapheresis [DFPP], and immunoadsorption [IA]) to remove donor specific antibodies (DSA) in the setting of HLA-incompatible (HLAi) KT. All patients that underwent apheresis for HLAi KT within a single center were included.

Treatment of antibody-mediated rejection with double-filtration plasmapheresis, low dose IVIg plus rituximab after kidney transplantation.

Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) at early or late post-transplantation remains challenging. We performed a single-center single-arm study where four cases of acute ABMR and nine cases of chronic active ABMR (defined by Banff classification) were treated with double-filtration plasmapheresis (two cycles of three consecutive daily sessions with a 4-day gap between). At the end of the third and sixth DFPP sessions, the patients received rituximab 375 mg/m .

Characteristics of T- and NK-cell Lymphomas After Renal Transplantation: A French National Multicentric Cohort Study.

Background: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) encompass a spectrum of heterogeneous entities. Because the vast majority of cases PTLD arise from B cells, available data on PTLD of T or NK phenotype (T/NK-cell PTLD) are scarce, which limits the quality of the management of these patients.

Methods: All adult cases of PTLD diagnosed in France were prospectively recorded in the national registry between 1998 and 2007.

Isoagglutinin removal by plasma centrifugation or filtration (single or double): A prospective study in a single center.

Introduction: ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplantation, a well-established procedure, has good long-term results provided pretransplant desensitization that includes immunosuppression and apheresis.

Objective: To compare, within the first pretransplant apheresis session given to 29 ABOi kidney-transplant candidates, the effect on isoagglutinin titers (both IgG and IgM isotypes) of three modalities: centrifugation therapeutic plasmapheresis (cTP; n = 10), filtration TP (fTP; n = 9), and double-filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP; n = 10).

Results: The three groups were comparable according to baseline demographics.

Opportunistic Infections and Efficacy Following Conversion to Belatacept-Based Therapy after Kidney Transplantation: A French Multicenter Cohort.

Conversion from calcineurin-inhibitors (CNIs) to belatacept can help kidney-transplant (KT) recipients avoid CNI-related nephrotoxicity. The risk of associated opportunistic infections (OPIs) is ill-defined. We conducted a multicentric cohort study across 15 French KT-centers in a real-life setting.

Impact of Immunosuppressive Strategies on Post-Kidney Transplantation Thrombocytopenia.

Background: Thrombocytopenia after kidney transplantation is a common complication, partly induced by immunosuppressive therapies. Peritransplant thrombocytopenia may cause serious hemorrhages. We assessed the incidence of early posttransplantation thrombocytopenia (defined as a platelet count of <150,000 mm or <150 G/L) in de novo kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) across 4 immunosuppressive regimens.

Effect of immunoadsorption alone or combined with membrane filtration on hemostasis parameters.

Introduction: ABO- or HLA-incompatible kidney transplantation is possible thanks to pretransplant antibody-depletion achieved by extracorporeal-treatment modalities. These methods induce depletion of some plasma proteins and may also impact on proteins involved in hemostasis.

Methods: To determine the impact of one session of immunoadsorption (IA) alone or combined with membrane filtration (MF) on clotting factors and natural anticoagulants, we performed a prospective, observational study on 13 patients waiting for HLA-/ABO-incompatible kidney transplants.

Poor kidney graft survival in anorexia nervosa patients.

Background: Anorexia nervosa is a condition associated with poor outcomes in a variety of circumstances such as recurrence of eating disorders, psychiatric disorders, and organ damage.

Objective: In the present study, we first sought to determine the 5-year kidney graft survival in patients with anorexia nervosa and then to evaluate the BMI course and medical complications.

Methods: In this multicenter, retrospective, case-control study, we analyzed the impact of anorexia nervosa on graft outcomes compared to transplant recipients with low or normal BMI.

Predonation Single Kidney Glomerular Filtration Rate in Living Kidney Transplantation to Predict Graft Function and Donor Functional Gain.

Background: The 2 main objectives regarding living kidney transplant are to provide optimal graft function and to ensure the safety of donation. Our study hypothesized that the glomerular filtration rate of a single kidney (skGFR), when transplanted, might predict graft function and that the skGFR of the remaining kidney could predict donor functional gain.

Methods: A prospective monocentric study was conducted at Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital.

Late Conversion From Calcineurin Inhibitors to Belatacept in Kidney-Transplant Recipients Has a Significant Beneficial Impact on Glycemic Parameters.

Background: Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) and steroids are strongly associated with new-onset diabetes after transplantation, worsening of pre-existing diabetes, and cardiovascular events. We assessed the benefit of conversion from CNI-based to belatacept-based immunosuppression in diabetic kidney-transplant (KT) recipients on glucose control and cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: In this retrospective, noncontrolled single-study conducted between May 2016 and October 26, 2018, we recruited KT recipients converted from CNIs to belatacept at least 6 months after KT.

Immunoadsorption for Recurrent Primary Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis on Kidney Allografts: A Single-Center Experience and Literature Review.

Introduction: Primary focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) frequently reoccurs on kidney transplants and may lead to premature allograft loss. There are no guidelines for treating FSGS recurrence on allografts; treatment is based on apheresis (plasma exchange plasmapheresis [PP], semi-specific immunoadsorption [IA] with reusable columns) plus rituximab.

Objective: We aimed to assess the efficacy of IA to treat recurrent FSGS.

Early Prediction of Graft Outcomes After Kidney Transplantation From Donors After Circulatory Death: Biomarkers and Transplantation Characteristics.

Background: This study aimed to identify transplantation characteristics and biomarkers that predict outcomes for kidney transplant (KT) patients from donors after circulatory death (DCDs).

Methods: Consecutive patients receiving a KT from a DCD in our center between 2014 and 2016 were included; the reference population was recipients with a living donor KT. The urinary tubular injury biomarker-to-creatinine ratio and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured at post-transplant days 1 and 3.

The TOMATO Study (Tacrolimus Metabolization in Kidney Transplantation): Impact of the Concentration-Dose Ratio on Death-censored Graft Survival.

Background: Tacrolimus trough concentrations (mean/variability), as well as concentration-to-dose ratio (C/D ratio), affect kidney allograft outcomes. We investigated the link between the C/D ratio and death-censored kidney graft survival (DCGS).

Methods: We performed a retrospective study on 1029 kidney transplant patients (2004-2016) with the following criteria: tacrolimus-based immunosuppression, >1-year graft survival, no initial use of everolimus, and available anti-human leukocyte antigen antibody data.