Renal allograft rejection in children and young adults: the Banff classification

In the Banff classification, arteritis and tubulitis are regarded as the principal histological lesions indicating acute renal allograft rejection. To test this claim, we examined 51 biopsies obtained from 21 children and young adults with transplant rejection. Two reviewers, blind to the clinical course, graded the biopsies according to the Banff scheme. In patients without significant tubulitis (borderline changes), rejection tended to be reversed easily (88%), often with methylprednisolone pulse (52%). In patients with arteritis or significant tubulitis (Banff I-III), rejection was reversed in only 23% (P < 0.001), in 9% with steroids, and in 14% with OKT3. Salvage of the graft was achieved in 26 of 35 (74%) with a score < 5 but in only 1 of 12 (8%) with a score > or = 5 (P < 0.001). All 6 patients with vasculitis lost their grafts despite methylprednisolone pulse and OKT3. We conclude that the Banff classification predicts accurately the outcome of renal allograft rejection in children and may aid in choosing appropriate therapy.