[Long term results in 70 pediatric renal transplants after more than 10 years. Histological study]

A clinicopathologic study of 41 biopsy specimens from renal grafts transplanted at least ten years earlier showed normal findings or only mild tubulointerstitial lesions in 63% of cases. Results confirmed the good prognostic value of renal graft biopsy performed ten years after transplantation. A very close correlation was demonstrated between histologic evidence of chronic rejection (interstitial fibrosis, tubular atrophy, and fibrous endarteritis) and long-term graft outcome. Severity of interstitial fibrosis was apparently a more reliable indicator of prognosis than severity of fibrous endarteritis. Among 16 patients with a history of acute rejection, none had residual parenchymatous lesions. In contrast, among patients with major tubulointerstitial and/or vascular lesions, most had previously experienced one or several episodes of acute rejection. Evidence of allograft glomerulopathy was seen in approximately one case in four (11 patients). Among these patients, only eight had proteinuria and only four lost their graft. Among the four patients who developed recurrent membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (type I in three cases and type II in one case), three lost the deposits previously detected by immunofluorescence, probably as a result of immunosuppressive therapy.