title: Percutaneous renal graft biopsy: a clinical, laboratory and pathological analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Renal allograft biopsies have been used as a good method for monitoring the evolution of kidney transplants for at least 20 years. Histological analysis permits differential diagnosis of the causes of allograft dysfunction to be made.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To correlate the data of urinalysis and serum creatinine with histological diagnosis of renal graft in a group of renal transplant patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Accuracy study, retrospective analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A university terciary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  339 percutaneous allograft biopsies obtained from 153 patients. Blood and urine samples were obtained before the graft biopsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory evaluation and hystological analysis (light microscopy, immunofluorescent electronic microscopy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most of the biopsies (58.9%) were performed during the first month post-transplant. An increase in serum creatinine was associated with acute tubular and/or cortical necrosis. Proteinuria and normal serum creatinine were associated with glomerular lesions. Non-nephrotic range proteinuria and an increase in serum creatinine were associated with chronic rejection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluation of serum creatinine and urinalysis can be useful in suggesting the histological graft diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas-Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil. m_mazzali@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazzali
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ribeiro-Alves
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alves Filho
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014556:Urine / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine