Plasma Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Predicts Graft Function Following Kidney Transplantation: A Prospective

Yongrong Ye1, Fei Han1, Maolin Ma1

  • 1Division of Kidney Transplantation, Organ Transplantation Research Institution, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

Frontiers in Medicine
|September 20, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) shows promise as a biomarker for predicting kidney transplant success. Higher intraoperative MIF levels are linked to a lower risk of delayed graft function, improving patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Transplantation Immunology

Background:

  • Delayed graft function (DGF) is a frequent complication following kidney transplantation (KT), often leading to poor clinical outcomes.
  • Current methods lack accurate early biomarkers for predicting DGF.
  • Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is implicated in kidney protection during surgery and may serve as a predictive biomarker for renal allograft recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential of plasma Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) levels as a biomarker for predicting Delayed Graft Function (DGF) after kidney transplantation.
  • To evaluate the correlation between intraoperative MIF levels and post-transplant renal allograft recovery.

Main Methods:

  • Plasma MIF levels were measured in kidney transplant recipients at various time points.
  • Correlation between plasma MIF and DGF was analyzed.
  • The study included KT recipients from July 2020 to December 2020 and was registered under ChiCTR2000035596.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences in intraoperative MIF levels were observed across immediate, slowed, and delayed graft function groups (P < 0.001).
  • Plasma MIF was identified as an independent protective factor against DGF (OR = 0.447, P = 0.003).
  • Combining plasma MIF with donor terminal serum creatinine yielded the highest predictive power for DGF (0.872). Plasma MIF also correlated significantly with 1-month allograft function (R² = 0.42, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Intraoperative Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF) demonstrates excellent diagnostic performance for predicting Delayed Graft Function (DGF) in kidney transplantation.
  • MIF acts as an independent protective factor for DGF and warrants further investigation as a clinical biomarker.

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