Relevance of Proteinuria in Kidney Transplant Recipients and Allograft Outcomes

The onset of proteinuria in renal allograft recipients is frequently associated with an increased risk for both graft failure and mortality. We investigated the risk associated with post-transplant proteinuria and its time-dynamics in a select group treated for biopsy proven antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR).

Eighty-five patients who underwent transplantation were enrolled in our study and followed up from transplantation until October 31, 2020, death, or the date of the return to dialysis. We created two main groups: the ABMR group (n = 19) and an ABMR-negative control group with stable kidney function (n = 52) without donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and a subgroup with DSAs but stable graft function (n = 14) without ABMR. Differences in patient, donor, and transplant graft characteristics between the groups were assessed by Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Death-censored graft loss was evaluated with the help of Kaplan-Meier analysis using log risk statistics.

Proteinuria decreased after treatment in the ABMR group (P < .0009). Pre-treatment every 10 mg/mmol increase in proteinuria was associated with a 7% increase in the risk for graft failure in the ABMR group. The estimated 3-year graft survival was 87.5% in the ABMR group, compared to 93% in the group without ABMR but with pre-formed DSA, and 100% in the DSA negative subgroup (log-rank probe P < .0666).

Proteinuria is an independent predictor for graft failure, can be lowered by treatment for ABMR but ABMR is associated with lower graft survival in our study population.