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Circulating immune complexes in renal transplant patients.
Clinical Nephrology
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Circulating immune complexes (CIC) detected after kidney transplants may indicate infection, not rejection. These immune complexes were also linked to late graft failure in patients with significant proteinuria.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Immunology
- Transplantation Science
Background:
- Circulating immune complexes (CIC) are implicated in various autoimmune and kidney diseases.
- Their role in the context of renal allotransplantation, particularly concerning graft outcomes and complications, requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of CIC in patients before and after renal allotransplantation.
- To determine the association between CIC and early post-transplant events, such as acute rejection and infection, as well as long-term graft function.
Main Methods:
- Sera from 56 patients pre-transplantation and serial samples from 30 patients post-transplantation were analyzed for CIC.
- CIC detection was correlated with clinical data including graft survival, acute rejection episodes, infections, graft function, and proteinuria levels.
Main Results:
- Pre-transplant CIC (12%) showed no correlation with 6-month graft survival.
- Post-transplant CIC were detected in 27% of patients within 6 weeks, associated with infections but not acute rejection.
- In long-term recipients (>1 year), 32% had CIC, frequently associated with proteinuria (>3 g/24 hr).
Conclusions:
- The appearance of CIC shortly after renal transplantation may serve as an indicator of infection rather than acute rejection.
- CIC are frequently observed in long-term renal transplant recipients with significant proteinuria, suggesting a potential role in late graft failure.