title: Glomerular enlargement assessed by paired donor and early protocol renal allograft biopsies.
abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the evolution of glomerular volume 4 months after transplantation. Mean glomerular volume (Vg) was estimated according to the Weibel and Gomez method in a donor and a protocol biopsy done at 139 +/- 58 d in 41 stable grafts. Biopsies were also evaluated according to the Banff schema. Vg increased after transplantation from 4.1 +/- 1.4 to 5.1 +/- 2.4 x 10(6) micro3 (p=0.02). In patients with chronic allograft nephropathy in the protocol biopsy (n=14), the Vg enlargement was -0.3 +/-x 10(6) micro3 while in patients without chronic allograft nephropathy (n=27), glomerular enlargement was 1.6 +/- 2.1 x 10(6) micro3 (p=0.01). There was a negative association between glomerular volume in the donor biopsy and glomerular enlargement after transplantation (R=- 0.34, p=0.03). Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that Vg in the donor biopsy and chronic allograft nephropathy in the protocol biopsy were independent predictors of glomerular enlargement after transplantation (R=0.48, p=0.01). Moreover, Vg in the protocol biopsy correlated with creatinine clearance at the time of biopsy (R=0.38, p=0.01). Glomeruli enlarge after transplantation and glomerular volume after 4 months correlates with creatinine clearance, suggesting that glomerular enlargement is a necessary condition for renal adaptation to the recipient. Glomerular enlargement is impaired in patients with chronic allograft nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Department, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alperovich
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moreso
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fulladosa
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grinyó
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Serón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous