Soluble CD30 for the prediction and detection of kidney transplant rejection

Although safer and more effective immunosuppressants as well as enhanced immunosuppressive protocols are continuously being developed in order to increase graft survival, they come at the steep price of drug-related complications and important side effects. In addition, the value of panel reactive antibodies determination, which at present is the single most used indicator of an increased risk of transplant rejection, is now being reevaluated. Therefore, effective tailoring of immunosuppressive therapy minimizing the above-mentioned pitfalls requires the existence of dependable biomarkers that adequately monitor rejection risk both before and after transplantation. Here we review the data yielded by studies assessing the usefulness of measuring soluble CD30 levels (sCD30) in kidney transplant rejection. These data collectively show that sCD30 serum content has a considerable predictive/diagnostic value for acute rejection of renal grafts, particularly when measured a few days after transplantation.