title: Complement C4d deposition in transplanted kidneys: preliminary report on long-term graft survival.
abstract: The effects of antibody-mediated rejection on long-term graft survival have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to clarify the influence on long-term survival of deposition of the complement split product C4d in allografts using polyclonal anti-C4d antibody. Inclusion criteria were recipients who underwent graft biopsy during acute deterioration of graft function within the first 2 yr after transplantation. Patients whose graft did not survive more than 1 yr and who received graft from an human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-identical sibling or an ABO-incompatible donor were excluded. Among the 92 recipients investigated, 22 (23.9%) had peritubular capillary C4d deposition, 15 (16.3%) had glomerular capillary C4d deposition and seven (7.6%) had both peritubular and glomerular capillary C4d deposition. Twenty of these 22 patients revealed acute cellular rejection, including borderline changes. There was no significant relationship between pathological severity of acute rejection and presence or absence of peritubular capillary C4d deposition. Graft survival was inferior in patients with peritubular capillary C4d deposition to that in patients without C4d deposition (p = 0.0419). Graft survival in patients with glomerular C4d deposition did not differ from that in patients without C4d deposition. In conclusion, C4d deposition in peritubular capillaries has a substantial impact on long-term graft survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan.
authors.forename: Nahoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomita
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nabeshima
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kushimoto
authors.forename: Masami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasugai
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiki
authors.forename: Tsuneo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinukawa
authors.forename: Nobumitsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Usuda
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D015935:Complement C4b / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000378:metabolism*; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015935:Complement C4b; C032261:complement C4d