Protein levels of heme oxygenase-1 during reperfusion in human kidney transplants with delayed graft function.
BACKGROUND
Delayed graft function (DGF) as a consequence of ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) is associated with a decrease in long-term allograft survival. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress responsive gene that is highly expressed in multiple pathological processes. The aim of our study was to analyze whether HO-1 protein levels in human kidney transplants during IRI correlate with the incidence of DGF.


METHODS
Kidney biopsies were obtained from 27 kidney allografts at two time points: at the end of cold storage and shortly after reperfusion. Samples were analyzed for HO-1 protein levels by Western blot.


RESULTS
Heme oxygenase-1 protein levels were significantly higher in post-reperfusion biopsies (39.4 vs. 13.7 arbitrary units, p = 0.001). In pre-reperfusion biopsies no association was observed between HO-1 protein levels and DGF. In post-reperfusion biopsies, higher levels of HO-1 protein were measured in kidneys with DGF (53.7 vs. 36.2 arbitrary units, p = 0.064). DGF kidneys showed a significantly higher increase from pre- to post-reperfusion in HO-1 protein (42.0 vs. 18.7 arbitrary units, p = 0.025).


CONCLUSIONS
Heme oxygenase-1 protein levels shortly after allograft reperfusion are closely related with initial graft function. Assessment thereof may be considered a valuable tool to predict DGF.
Ollinger
Robert
R
Department of General and Transplant Surgery, D. Swarovski Research Lab, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. robert.oellinger@i-med.ac.at
Kogler
Pamela
P
Biebl
Matthias
M
Sieb
Michael
M
Sucher
Robert
R
Bösmüller
Claudia
C
Troppmair
Jakob
J
Mark
Walter
W
Weiss
Helmut
H
Margreiter
Raimund
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D051799:Delayed Graft Function / Q000201:enzymology*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015424:Reperfusion; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000201:enzymology*; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D055815:Young Adult
C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1