title: Recurrence of lupus nephritis after kidney transplantation.
abstract: The frequency and outcome of recurrent lupus nephritis (RLN) among recipients of a kidney allograft vary among single-center reports. From the United Network for Organ Sharing files, we estimated the period prevalence and predictors of RLN in recipients who received a transplant between 1987 and 2006 and assessed the effects of RLN on allograft failure and recipients' survival. Among 6850 recipients of a kidney allograft with systemic lupus erythematosus, 167 recipients had RLN, 1770 experienced rejection, and 4913 control subjects did not experience rejection. The period prevalence of RLN was 2.44%. Non-Hispanic black race, female gender, and age <33 years each independently increased the odds of RLN. Graft failure occurred in 156 (93%) of those with RLN, 1517 (86%) of those with rejection, and 923 (19%) of control subjects without rejection. Although recipients with RLN had a fourfold greater risk for graft failure compared with control subjects without rejection, only 7% of graft failure episodes were attributable to RLN compared and 43% to rejection. During follow-up, 867 (13%) recipients died: 27 (16%) in the RLN group, 313 (18%) in the rejection group, and 527 (11%) in the control group. In summary, severe RLN is uncommon in recipients of a kidney allograft, but black recipients, female recipient, and younger recipients are at increased risk. Although RLN significantly increases the risk for graft failure, it contributes far less than rejection to its overall incidence; therefore, these findings should not keep patients with lupus from seeking a kidney transplant.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida 33136, USA. gcontrer@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattiazzi
authors.forename: Giselle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Tozman
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tamariz
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kupin
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ladino
authors.forename: Baudouin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: LeClercq
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jaraba
authors.forename: Decio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Efrain
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carles
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D044469:Racial Groups; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous