Late histopathological findings in renal allografts with four immunosuppressive regimens

The histological changes in renal allografts are usually studied when graft function has already deteriorated. The early results of renal allografts have improved dramatically during the last two decades, but the half-life of renal cadaveric allografts has remained unchanged at approximately 7 years. The mechanism of chronic rejection, and how to prevent it, is not known. We studied the histology of renal allografts under four different immunosuppressive regimens 2 years after transplantation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether histopathological changes exist in the renal allografts with relatively good and stable graft function. We also investigated whether there were differences in allograft histology between four immunosuppressive treatment groups 2 years after transplantation.