Clinical importance of the updated Oxford classification in allograft IgA nephropathy

With the recent update to the Oxford classification for allograft IgA nephropathy (IgAN), additional investigations on the clinical significance of the updated components are warranted. We performed a retrospective cohort study at two tertiary hospitals. Kidney transplant recipients diagnosed with allograft IgAN were included in the study after additional review by specialized pathologists. We applied the updated Oxford classification and determined the MEST-C scores of the patients. The main study outcome was death-censored graft failure within 10 years after the establishment of allograft IgAN diagnosis and was assessed using the Cox regression analysis. Three hundred thirty-three allograft IgAN patients were reviewed: 100 patients with confirmed native IgAN and 233 patients with other, clinical, or unknown primary causes for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The updated Oxford classification for allograft IgAN demonstrated prognostic value for graft failure, and patients with multiple MEST-C components had worse outcomes. M, E, S, and C were significantly associated with the prognosis of recurred IgAN and T was the only independent prognostic parameter for allograft IgAN without confirmed native IgAN. Therefore, we suggest reporting MEST-C scores in allograft biopsies and careful interpretation of the results according to the primary cause of ESRD.