C4d deposition in acute rejection: an independent long-term prognostic factor

Peritubular capillary deposition of C4d has been demonstrated to be associated with both acute humoral and vascular rejection and increased graft loss. Whether it is an independent predictor of long-term graft survival rates is uncertain. The biopsies (n = 126) from all patients (n = 93) with a tissue diagnosis of acute rejection that were performed between July 1, 1995, and December 31, 1997, were classified according to Cooperative Clinical Trials in Transplantation (CCTT) criteria. Fresh frozen tissue was immunostained for C4d. There were 58 patients with CCTT type I (interstitial) rejection and 35 with CCTT type II (vascular) rejection. For 34 patients, at least one biopsy exhibited peritubular C4d deposition (C4d+ group). The C4d+ group had proportionately more female patients (P = 0.003), more patients with high (>30%) panel-reactive antibody levels (P = 0.024), more patients with resistance to conventional antirejection therapy (P = 0.010), and fewer patients with postrejection hypertension (P = 0.021) and exhibited a greater rate of graft loss (38 versus 7%, P = 0.001). Peritubular C4d deposition was associated with significantly lower graft survival rates in the CCTT type I rejection group (P = 0.003) and the CCTT type II rejection group (P = 0.003). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that peritubular C4d deposition (P = 0.0002), donor age (P = 0.0002), cold ischemic time (P = 0.0211), and HLA matches (P = 0.0460) were significant independent determinants of graft survival rates. Peritubular C4d deposition is a significant predictor of graft survival rates and is independent of histologic rejection type and a variety of clinical prognostic factors.