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Diebold M, Vietzen H, Heinzel A, Haindl S, Herz CT, Mayer K, Doberer K, Kainz A, Faé I, Wenda S, Kühner LM, Berger SM, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Kozakowski N, Schaub S, Halloran PF, Böhmig GA. Natural killer cell functional genetics and donor-specific antibody-triggered microvascular inflammation. Am J Transplant 2024; 24:743-754. [PMID: 38097018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/31/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a leading cause of graft failure. Emerging evidence suggests a significant contribution of natural killer (NK) cells to microvascular inflammation (MVI). We investigated the influence of genetically determined NK cell functionality on ABMR development and activity. The study included 86 kidney transplant recipients subjected to systematic biopsies triggered by donor-specific antibody detection. We performed killer immunoglobulin-like receptor typing to predict missing self and genotyped polymorphisms determining NK cell functionality (FCGR3AV/F158 [rs396991], KLRC2wt/del, KLRK1HNK/LNK [rs1049174], rs9916629-C/T). Fifty patients had ABMR with considerable MVI and elevated NK cell transcripts. Missing self was not related to MVI. Only KLRC2wt/wt showed an association (MVI score: 2 [median; interquartile range: 0-3] vs 0 [0-1] in KLRC2wt/del recipients; P = .001) and remained significant in a proportional odds multivariable model (odds ratio, 7.84; 95% confidence interval, 2.37-30.47; P = .001). A sum score incorporating all polymorphisms and missing self did not outperform a score including only KLRC2 and FCGR3A variants, which were predictive in univariable analysis. NK cell genetics did not affect graft functional decline and survival. In conclusion, a functional KLRC2 polymorphism emerged as an independent determinant of ABMR activity, without a considerable contribution of missing self and other NK cell gene polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Diebold
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Clinic for Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hannes Vietzen
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Heinzel
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Haindl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carsten T Herz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Kainz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingrid Faé
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Wenda
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura M Kühner
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah M Berger
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Stefan Schaub
- Clinic for Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, ATAGC, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Berger M, Baliker M, Van Gelder T, Böhmig GA, Mannon RB, Kumar D, Chadban S, Nickerson P, Lee LA, Djamali A. Chronic Active Antibody-mediated Rejection: Opportunity to Determine the Role of Interleukin-6 Blockade. Transplantation 2024; 108:1109-1114. [PMID: 37941113 PMCID: PMC11042519 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (caAMR) is arguably the most important cause of late kidney allograft failure. However, there are no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for acute or chronic AMR and there is no consensus on effective treatment. Many trials in transplantation have failed because of slow and/or inadequate enrollment, and no new agent has been approved by the FDA for transplantation in over a decade. Several lines of evidence suggest that interleukin-6 is an important driver of AMR, and clazakizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody that neutralizes interleukin-6, has shown promising results in phase 2 studies. The IMAGINE trial (Interleukin-6 Blockade Modifying Antibody-mediated Graft Injury and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Decline) (NCT03744910) is the first to be considered by the FDA using a reasonably likely surrogate endpoint (slope of estimated glomerular filtration rate decline >1 y) for accelerated approval and is the only ongoing clinical trial for the treatment of chronic rejection. This trial offers us the opportunity to advance the care for our patients in need, and this article is a call to action for all transplant providers caring for patients with caAMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mel Berger
- Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| | | | - Teun Van Gelder
- Department Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roslyn B. Mannon
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Deepali Kumar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Transplant Infectious Disease, Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Steve Chadban
- Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter Nickerson
- Department of Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Laurie A. Lee
- Research and Development, Transplant Therapeutic Area, CSL Behring, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, PA
| | - Arjang Djamali
- Department of Medicine, Maine Medical Center, Portland, ME
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3
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Naesens M, Roufosse C, Haas M, Lefaucheur C, Mannon RB, Adam BA, Aubert O, Böhmig GA, Callemeyn J, Clahsen-van Groningen M, Cornell LD, Demetris AJ, Drachenberg CB, Einecke G, Fogo AB, Gibson IW, Halloran P, Hidalgo LG, Horsfield C, Huang E, Kikić Ž, Kozakowski N, Nankivell B, Rabant M, Randhawa P, Riella LV, Sapir-Pichhadze R, Schinstock C, Solez K, Tambur AR, Thaunat O, Wiebe C, Zielinski D, Colvin R, Loupy A, Mengel M. The Banff 2022 Kidney Meeting Report: Reappraisal of microvascular inflammation and the role of biopsy-based transcript diagnostics. Am J Transplant 2024; 24:338-349. [PMID: 38032300 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
The XVI-th Banff Meeting for Allograft Pathology was held at Banff, Alberta, Canada, from 19th to 23rd September 2022, as a joint meeting with the Canadian Society of Transplantation. To mark the 30th anniversary of the first Banff Classification, premeeting discussions were held on the past, present, and future of the Banff Classification. This report is a summary of the meeting highlights that were most important in terms of their effect on the Classification, including discussions around microvascular inflammation and biopsy-based transcript analysis for diagnosis. In a postmeeting survey, agreement was reached on the delineation of the following phenotypes: (1) "Probable antibody-mediated rejection (AMR)," which represents donor-specific antibodies (DSA)-positive cases with some histologic features of AMR but below current thresholds for a definitive AMR diagnosis; and (2) "Microvascular inflammation, DSA-negative and C4d-negative," a phenotype of unclear cause requiring further study, which represents cases with microvascular inflammation not explained by DSA. Although biopsy-based transcript diagnostics are considered promising and remain an integral part of the Banff Classification (limited to diagnosis of AMR), further work needs to be done to agree on the exact classifiers, thresholds, and clinical context of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Naesens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| | - Mark Haas
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Carmen Lefaucheur
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, PARCC, Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration, France & Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Saint-Louis Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Benjamin A Adam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Olivier Aubert
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, PARCC, Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration, France & Department of Transplantation, Necker Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jasper Callemeyn
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marian Clahsen-van Groningen
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Bioinformatics, Erasmus University Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Lynn D Cornell
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Anthony J Demetris
- UPMC Hepatic and Transplantation Pathology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Gunilla Einecke
- Department of Nephrology and Rheumatology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Agnes B Fogo
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ian W Gibson
- Department of Pathology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Philip Halloran
- Department of Medicine, Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Luis G Hidalgo
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Edmund Huang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, West Hollywood, California, USA
| | - Željko Kikić
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Brian Nankivell
- Department of Renal Medicine, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Marion Rabant
- Pathology department, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Parmjeet Randhawa
- Department of Pathology, Thomas E. Starzl Transplant Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Leonardo V Riella
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ruth Sapir-Pichhadze
- Division of Nephrology & Multi-Organ Transplant Program, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Carrie Schinstock
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Kim Solez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anat R Tambur
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Olivier Thaunat
- Department of Transplantation Nephrology and Clinical Immunology, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Chris Wiebe
- Department of Medicine and Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Dina Zielinski
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, PARCC, Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration, France & Department of Transplantation, Necker Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Robert Colvin
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Alexandre Loupy
- Université Paris Cité, INSERM, PARCC, Paris Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration, France & Department of Transplantation, Necker Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Michael Mengel
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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Herz CT, Diebold M, Kainz A, Mayer KA, Doberer K, Kozakowski N, Halloran PF, Böhmig GA. Morphologic and Molecular Features of Antibody-Mediated Transplant Rejection: Pivotal Role of Molecular Injury as an Independent Predictor of Renal Allograft Functional Decline. Transpl Int 2023; 36:12135. [PMID: 38169771 PMCID: PMC10758445 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2023.12135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Current knowledge about the factors correlating with functional decline and subsequent failure of kidney allografts in antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is limited. We conducted a cohort study involving 75 renal allograft recipients diagnosed with late ABMR occurring at least 6 months after transplantation. The study aimed to examine the correlation of molecular and histologic features with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) trajectories and death-censored graft survival. We focused on sum scores reflecting histologic ABMR activity versus chronicity and molecular scores of ABMR probability (ABMRProb), injury-repair response (IRRAT) and fibrosis (ciprob). In multivariable Cox analysis, a Banff lesion-based chronicity index (ci+ct+cg[x2]; hazard ratio per interquartile range [IQR]: 1.97 [95% confidence interval: 0.97 to 3.99]) and IRRAT (1.93 [0.96 to 3.89]) showed the strongest associations with graft failure. Among biopsy variables, IRRAT exhibited the highest relative variable importance and emerged as the sole independent predictor of eGFR slope (change per IQR: -4.2 [-7.8 to -0.6] mL/min/1.73 m2/year). In contrast, morphologic chronicity associated with baseline eGFR only. We conclude that the extent of molecular injury is a robust predictor of renal function decline. Transcriptome analysis has the potential to improve outcome prediction and possibly identify modifiable injury, guiding targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten T. Herz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Diebold
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Clinic for Transplantation Immunology and Nephrology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Kainz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina A. Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, ATAGC, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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5
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Süsal CC, Kraft L, Ender A, Süsal C, Schwenger A, Amann K, Böhmig GA, Schwenger V. Blood group-specific apheresis in combination with daratumumab as a rescue therapy of acute antibody-mediated rejection in a case of ABO- and human leukocyte antigen-incompatible kidney transplantation. SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2023; 11:2050313X231211050. [PMID: 38022864 PMCID: PMC10631334 DOI: 10.1177/2050313x231211050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We report a case of antibody-mediated rejection treated with the human CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab in a 58-year-old female patient with end-stage kidney disease due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who received an ABO- and human leukocyte antigen antibody-incompatible living donor kidney transplant. The patient experienced an episode of severe antibody-mediated rejection within the first week of transplantation. Blood-group-antibody selective immunoadsorption in combination with administration of four doses of daratumumab (each 1800 mg s.c.) led to a persistent decrease of ABO- and more interestingly donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibody reactivity and resulted in clinical and histopathological remission with full recovery of graft function, which has remained stable until post-transplant day 212. This case illustrates the potential of targeting CD38 in antibody-mediated rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can C Süsal
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum Stuttgart—Katharinenhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Leonie Kraft
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum Stuttgart—Katharinenhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Andrea Ender
- Central Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Blood Donation, Katharinenhospital Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Caner Süsal
- Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence, Koç University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Amelie Schwenger
- Experimental Immunology, Department for Children and Adolescents Medicine, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kerstin Amann
- Department of Nephropathology, Department of Pathology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vedat Schwenger
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum Stuttgart—Katharinenhospital, Stuttgart, Germany
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6
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Rostaing LPE, Böhmig GA, Gibbons B, Taqi MM. Post-Transplant Surveillance and Management of Chronic Active Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Renal Transplant Patients in Europe. Transpl Int 2023; 36:11381. [PMID: 37529383 PMCID: PMC10389272 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2023.11381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Antibody mediated rejection (ABMR) is the leading cause of immune-related allograft failure following kidney transplantation. Chronic active ABMR (CABMR) typically occurs after one-year post-transplant and is the most common cause of late allograft failure. This study was designed to assess common practices in Europe for post-transplant surveillance 1 year after kidney transplant, as well as the diagnosis and management of CABMR. A 15-minute online survey with 58 multiple choice or open-ended questions was completed by EU transplant nephrologists, transplant surgeons and nephrologists. Survey topics included patient caseloads, post-transplant routine screening and treatment of CABMR. The results indicated that observing clinical measures of graft function form the cornerstone of post-transplant surveillance. This may be suboptimal, leading to late diagnoses and untreatable disease. Indeed, less than half of patients who develop CABMR receive treatment beyond optimization of immune suppression. This is attributable to not only late diagnoses, but also a lack of proven efficacious therapies. Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG), steroid pulse and apheresis are prescribed by the majority to treat CABMR. While biologics can feature as part of treatment, there is no single agent that is being used by more than half of physicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel P. E. Rostaing
- Service de Néphrologie, Hémodialyse, Aphérèses et Transplantation Rénale, CHU Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Clinical Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, University Clinic for Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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7
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Schaier M, Morath C, Wang L, Kleist C, Opelz G, Tran TH, Scherer S, Pham L, Ekpoom N, Süsal C, Ponath G, Kälble F, Speer C, Benning L, Nusshag C, Mahler CF, Pego da Silva L, Sommerer C, Hückelhoven-Krauss A, Czock D, Mehrabi A, Schwab C, Waldherr R, Schnitzler P, Merle U, Schwenger V, Krautter M, Kemmner S, Fischereder M, Stangl M, Hauser IA, Kälsch AI, Krämer BK, Böhmig GA, Müller-Tidow C, Reiser J, Zeier M, Schmitt M, Terness P, Schmitt A, Daniel V. Five-year follow-up of a phase I trial of donor-derived modified immune cell infusion in kidney transplantation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1089664. [PMID: 37483623 PMCID: PMC10361653 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1089664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The administration of modified immune cells (MIC) before kidney transplantation led to specific immunosuppression against the allogeneic donor and a significant increase in regulatory B lymphocytes. We wondered how this approach affected the continued clinical course of these patients. Methods Ten patients from a phase I clinical trial who had received MIC infusions prior to kidney transplantation were retrospectively compared to 15 matched standard-risk recipients. Follow-up was until year five after surgery. Results The 10 MIC patients had an excellent clinical course with stable kidney graft function, no donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSA) or acute rejections, and no opportunistic infections. In comparison, a retrospectively matched control group receiving standard immunosuppressive therapy had a higher frequency of DSA (log rank P = 0.046) and more opportunistic infections (log rank P = 0.033). Importantly, MIC patients, and in particular the four patients who had received the highest cell number 7 days before surgery and received low immunosuppression during follow-up, continued to show a lack of anti-donor T lymphocyte reactivity in vitro and high CD19+CD24hiCD38hi transitional and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ memory B lymphocytes until year five after surgery. Conclusions MIC infusions together with reduced conventional immunosuppression were associated with good graft function during five years of follow-up, no de novo DSA development and no opportunistic infections. In the future, MIC infusions might contribute to graft protection while reducing the side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. However, this approach needs further validation in direct comparison with prospective controls. Trial registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT02560220 (for the TOL-1 Study). EudraCT Number: 2014-002086-30.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Schaier
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Christian Morath
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Thematic Translational Unit (TTU)-Infections of the Immunocompromised Host (IICH), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Christian Kleist
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Gerhard Opelz
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Thuong Hien Tran
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Sabine Scherer
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Lien Pham
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Naruemol Ekpoom
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence, Koç University, Istanbul, ;Türkiye
| | - Gerald Ponath
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Florian Kälble
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Claudius Speer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Louise Benning
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Christian Nusshag
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Christoph F. Mahler
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Luiza Pego da Silva
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Claudia Sommerer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Thematic Translational Unit (TTU)-Infections of the Immunocompromised Host (IICH), Partner Site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Angela Hückelhoven-Krauss
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - David Czock
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Constantin Schwab
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Rüdiger Waldherr
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Paul Schnitzler
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Uta Merle
- Department of Gastroenterology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Vedat Schwenger
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Stuttgart, ;Germany
| | - Markus Krautter
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Stuttgart, ;Germany
| | - Stephan Kemmner
- Transplant Center, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, ;Germany
| | - Michael Fischereder
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich, ;Germany
| | - Manfred Stangl
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Munich, ;Germany
| | - Ingeborg A. Hauser
- Medical Clinic III, Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, ;Germany
| | - Anna-Isabelle Kälsch
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology/Pneumology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, ;Germany
| | - Bernhard K. Krämer
- Fifth Department of Medicine (Nephrology/Endocrinology/Rheumatology/Pneumology), University Medical Centre Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, ;Germany
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, ;Austria
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Jochen Reiser
- Department of Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, IL, ;United States
| | - Martin Zeier
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Michael Schmitt
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Peter Terness
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Anita Schmitt
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, ;Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
| | - Volker Daniel
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, ;Germany
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8
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Haninger-Vacariu N, Gleiss A, Gaggl M, Aigner C, Kain R, Prohászka Z, Szilágyi Á, Csuka D, Böhmig GA, Sunder-Plassmann R, Sunder-Plassmann G, Schmidt A. Pregnancy in Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes. Kidney Med 2023; 5:100669. [PMID: 37492116 PMCID: PMC10363558 DOI: 10.1016/j.xkme.2023.100669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale & Objective Pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes in women with complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (cTMA) have not been well described. A better understanding of these outcomes is necessary to provide women with competent pregnancy counseling. Study Design Cohort study. Setting and Participants Women with a history of cTMA and pregnancies enrolled into the Vienna thrombotic microangiopathy cohort. Exposure New onset or relapses of cTMA. Outcomes Pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies in women (a) before cTMA manifestation, (b) complicated by pregnancy-associated cTMA (P-cTMA), and (c) after first manifestation of cTMA or P-cTMA. Analytical Approach Mixed models were used to adjust the comparison of pregnancy, delivery, and neonatal outcomes between conditions (before, with, and after cTMA) for repeated pregnancies using the mother's ID as random factor. In addition, the fixed factors, mother's age and neonate's sex, were used for adjustment. For (sex-adjusted and age-adjusted) centile outcomes, only the mother's age was used. Adjusted odds ratios were derived from a generalized linear mixed model with live birth as the outcome. Least squares means and pairwise differences between them were derived from the linear mixed models for the remaining outcomes. Results 28 women reported 74 pregnancies. Despite higher rates of fetal loss before the diagnosis of P-cTMA and preterm births with P-cTMA, most of the women were able to conceive successfully. Neonatal development in all 3 conditions of pregnancies was excellent. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were better in women with a pregnancy after the diagnosis of cTMA. Limitations Although our data set comprises a considerable number of 74 pregnancies, the effective sample size is lower because only 28 mothers with multiple pregnancies were observed. The statistical power for detecting clinically relevant effects was probably low. A recall bias for miscarriages cannot be ruled out. Conclusions Prepregnancy counseling of women with a history of cTMA can be supportive of their desire to become pregnant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalja Haninger-Vacariu
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Gleiss
- Center for Medical Science, Institute of Clinical Biometrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Gaggl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christof Aigner
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Renate Kain
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoltán Prohászka
- Research Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, and MTA-SE Research Group of Immunology and Hematology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Szilágyi
- Research Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, and MTA-SE Research Group of Immunology and Hematology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dorottya Csuka
- Research Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine and Hematology, and MTA-SE Research Group of Immunology and Hematology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raute Sunder-Plassmann
- Genetics Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gere Sunder-Plassmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alice Schmidt
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Madill-Thomsen KS, Böhmig GA, Bromberg J, Einecke G, Eskandary F, Gupta G, Myslak M, Viklicky O, Perkowska-Ptasinska A, Solez K, Halloran PF. Relating Molecular T Cell-mediated Rejection Activity in Kidney Transplant Biopsies to Time and to Histologic Tubulitis and Atrophy-fibrosis. Transplantation 2023; 107:1102-1114. [PMID: 36575574 PMCID: PMC10125115 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000004396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We studied the variation in molecular T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) activity in kidney transplant indication biopsies and its relationship with histologic lesions (particularly tubulitis and atrophy-fibrosis) and time posttransplant. METHODS We examined 175 kidney transplant biopsies with molecular TCMR as defined by archetypal analysis in the INTERCOMEX study ( ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01299168). TCMR activity was defined by a molecular classifier. RESULTS Archetypal analysis identified 2 TCMR classes, TCMR1 and TCMR2: TCMR1 had higher TCMR activity and more antibody-mediated rejection ("mixed") activity and arteritis but little hyalinosis, whereas TCMR2 had less TCMR activity but more atrophy-fibrosis. TCMR1 and TCMR2 had similar levels of molecular injury and tubulitis. Both TCMR1 and TCMR2 biopsies were uncommon after 2 y posttransplant and were rare after 10 y, particularly TCMR1. Within late TCMR biopsies, TCMR classifier activity and activity molecules such as IFNG fell progressively with time, but tubulitis and molecular injury were sustained. Atrophy-fibrosis was increased in TCMR biopsies, even in the first year posttransplant, and rose with time posttransplant. TCMR1 and TCMR2 both reduced graft survival, but in random forests, the strongest determinant of survival after biopsies with TCMR was molecular injury, not TCMR activity. CONCLUSIONS TCMR varies in intensity but is always strongly related to molecular injury and atrophy-fibrosis, which ultimately explains its effect on survival. We hypothesize, based on the reciprocal relationship with hyalinosis, that the TCMR1-TCMR2 gradient reflects calcineurin inhibitor drug underexposure, whereas the time-dependent decline in TCMR activity and frequency after the first year reflects T-cell exhaustion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Gunilla Einecke
- Department of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Marek Myslak
- Department of Clinical Interventions, Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation SPWSZ Hospital, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology and Transplant Center, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Kim Solez
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Division of Anatomical Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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10
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Vietzen H, Furlano PL, Cornelissen JJ, Böhmig GA, Jaksch P, Puchhammer-Stöckl E. HLA-E-restricted immune responses are crucial for the control of EBV infections and the prevention of PTLD. Blood 2023; 141:1560-1573. [PMID: 36477802 PMCID: PMC10651774 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022017650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections may cause infectious mononucleosis (IM), whereas EBV reactivations in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients are associated with posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs). It is still unclear why only a minority of primary EBV-infected individuals develop IM, and why only some patients progress to EBV+PTLD after transplantation. We now investigated whether nonclassic human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E)-restricted immune responses have a significant impact on the development of EBV diseases in the individual host. On the basis of a large study cohort of 1404 patients and controls as well as on functional natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T-cell analyses, we could demonstrate that the highly expressed HLA-E∗0103/0103 genotype is protective against IM, due to the induction of potent EBV BZLF1-specific HLA-E-restricted CD8+ T-cell responses, which efficiently prevent the in vitro viral dissemination. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the risk of symptomatic EBV reactivations in immunocompetent individuals as well as in immunocompromised transplant recipients depends on variations in the inhibitory NKG2A/LMP-1/HLA-E axis. We show that EBV strains encoding for the specific LMP-1 peptide variants GGDPHLPTL or GGDPPLPTL, presented by HLA-E, elicit strong inhibitory NKG2A+ NK and CD8+ T-cell responses. The presence of EBV strains encoding for both peptides was highly associated with symptomatic EBV reactivations. The further progression to EBV+PTLD was highly associated with the presence of both peptide-encoding EBV strains and the expression of HLA-E∗0103/0103 in the host. Thus, HLA-E-restricted immune responses and the NKG2A/LMP-1/HLA-E axis are novel predictive markers for EBV+PTLD in transplant recipients and should be considered for future EBV vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Vietzen
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Jan J. Cornelissen
- Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Jaksch
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Abstract
Today we know that both the humoral and the cellular arm of the immune system are engaged in severe immunological challenges. A close interaction between B and T cells can be observed in most "natural" challenges, including infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. The importance and power of humoral immunity are impressively demonstrated by the current coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Organ transplant rejection is a normal immune response to a completely "artificial" challenge. It took a long time before the multifaceted action of different immunological forces was recognized and a unified, generally accepted opinion could be formed. Here, we address prominent paradigms and paradigm shifts in the field of transplantation immunology. We identify several instances in which the transplant community missed a timely paradigm shift because essential, available knowledge was ignored. Moreover, we discuss key findings that critically contributed to our understanding of transplant immunology but sometimes developed with delay and in a roundabout way, as was the case with antibody-mediated rejection-a main focus of this article. These include the discovery of the molecular principles of histocompatibility, the recognition of the microcirculation as a key interface of immune damage, the refinement of alloantibody detection, the description of C4d as a footmark of endothelium-bound antibody, and last but not least, the developments in biopsy-based diagnostics beyond conventional morphology, which only now give us a glimpse of the enormous complexity and pathogenetic diversity of rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, ATAGC, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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12
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Haupenthal F, Rahn J, Maggi F, Gelas F, Bourgeois P, Hugo C, Jilma B, Böhmig GA, Herkner H, Wolzt M, Doberer K, Vossen M, Focosi D, Neuwirt H, Banas M, Banas B, Budde K, Viklicky O, Malvezzi P, Rostaing L, Rotmans JI, Bakker SJL, Eller K, Cejka D, Pérez AM, Rodriguez-Arias D, König F, Bond G. A multicentre, patient- and assessor-blinded, non-inferiority, randomised and controlled phase II trial to compare standard and torque teno virus-guided immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients in the first year after transplantation: TTVguideIT. Trials 2023; 24:213. [PMID: 36949445 PMCID: PMC10032258 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07216-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunosuppression after kidney transplantation is mainly guided via plasma tacrolimus trough level, which cannot sufficiently predict allograft rejection and infection. The plasma load of the non-pathogenic and highly prevalent torque teno virus (TTV) is associated with the immunosuppression of its host. Non-interventional studies suggest the use of TTV load to predict allograft rejection and infection. The primary objective of the current trial is to demonstrate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of TTV-guided immunosuppression. METHODS For this purpose, a randomised, controlled, interventional, two-arm, non-inferiority, patient- and assessor-blinded, investigator-driven phase II trial was designed. A total of 260 stable, low-immunological-risk adult recipients of a kidney graft with tacrolimus-based immunosuppression and TTV infection after month 3 post-transplantation will be recruited in 13 academic centres in six European countries. Subjects will be randomised in a 1:1 ratio (allocation concealment) to receive tacrolimus either guided by TTV load or according to the local centre standard for 9 months. The primary composite endpoint includes the occurrence of infections, biopsy-proven allograft rejection, graft loss, or death. The main secondary endpoints include estimated glomerular filtration rate, graft rejection detected by protocol biopsy at month 12 post-transplantation (including molecular microscopy), development of de novo donor-specific antibodies, health-related quality of life, and drug adherence. In parallel, a comprehensive biobank will be established including plasma, serum, urine and whole blood. The date of the first enrolment was August 2022 and the planned end is April 2025. DISCUSSION The assessment of individual kidney transplant recipient immune function might enable clinicians to personalise immunosuppression, thereby reducing infection and rejection. Moreover, the trial might act as a proof of principle for TTV-guided immunosuppression and thus pave the way for broader clinical applications, including as guidance for immune modulators or disease-modifying agents. TRIAL REGISTRATION EU CT-Number: 2022-500024-30-00.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Haupenthal
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jette Rahn
- Coordination Center for Clinical Trials, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy
| | - Fanny Gelas
- bioMérieux SA, Centre Christophe Merieux, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Christian Hugo
- Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus an der Technischen Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Bernd Jilma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Harald Herkner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Wolzt
- Clinical Trials Coordination Centre, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Matthias Vossen
- Division of Infectious diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Hannes Neuwirt
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Nephrology and Hypertension, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Miriam Banas
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Banas
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Klemens Budde
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Transplant Center, Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Paolo Malvezzi
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis and Kidney Transplantation, CHU-Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Lionel Rostaing
- Department of Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis and Kidney Transplantation, CHU-Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Joris I Rotmans
- Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stephan J L Bakker
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kathrin Eller
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Daniel Cejka
- Ordensklinikum Linz GmbH Elisabethinen, Linz, Austria
| | - Alberto Molina Pérez
- Institute for Advanced Social Studies, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Franz König
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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13
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Morath C, Schaier M, Ibrahim E, Wang L, Kleist C, Opelz G, Süsal C, Ponath G, Aly M, Alvarez CM, Kälble F, Speer C, Benning L, Nusshag C, Pego da Silva L, Sommerer C, Hückelhoven-Krauss A, Czock D, Mehrabi A, Schwab C, Waldherr R, Schnitzler P, Merle U, Tran TH, Scherer S, Böhmig GA, Müller-Tidow C, Reiser J, Zeier M, Schmitt M, Terness P, Schmitt A, Daniel V. Induction of Long-Lasting Regulatory B Lymphocytes by Modified Immune Cells in Kidney Transplant Recipients. J Am Soc Nephrol 2023; 34:160-174. [PMID: 36137752 PMCID: PMC10101591 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2022020210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We recently demonstrated that donor-derived modified immune cells (MICs)-PBMCs that acquire immunosuppressive properties after a brief treatment-induced specific immunosuppression against the allogeneic donor when administered before kidney transplantation. We found up to a 68-fold increase in CD19 + CD24 hi CD38 hi transitional B lymphocytes compared with transplanted controls. METHODS Ten patients from a phase 1 clinical trial who had received MIC infusions before kidney transplantation were followed to post-transplant day 1080. RESULTS Patients treated with MICs had a favorable clinical course, showing no donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies or acute rejections. The four patients who had received the highest dose of MICs 7 days before surgery and were on reduced immunosuppressive therapy showed an absence of in vitro lymphocyte reactivity against stimulatory donor blood cells, whereas reactivity against third party cells was preserved. In these patients, numbers of transitional B lymphocytes were 75-fold and seven-fold higher than in 12 long-term survivors on minimal immunosuppression and four operationally tolerant patients, respectively ( P <0.001 for both). In addition, we found significantly higher numbers of other regulatory B lymphocyte subsets and a gene expression signature suggestive of operational tolerance in three of four patients. In MIC-treated patients, in vitro lymphocyte reactivity against donor blood cells was restored after B lymphocyte depletion, suggesting a direct pathophysiologic role of regulatory B lymphocytes in donor-specific unresponsiveness. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that donor-specific immunosuppression after MIC infusion is long-lasting and associated with a striking increase in regulatory B lymphocytes. Donor-derived MICs appear to be an immunoregulatory cell population that when administered to recipients before transplantation, may exert a beneficial effect on kidney transplants. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER MIC Cell Therapy for Individualized Immunosuppression in Living Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients (TOL-1), NCT02560220.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Morath
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Schaier
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eman Ibrahim
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Clinical Pathology Department, South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Lei Wang
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Kleist
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Opelz
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gerald Ponath
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mostafa Aly
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Nephrology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Cristiam M. Alvarez
- Cellular Immunology and Immunogenetics Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia
| | - Florian Kälble
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudius Speer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Louise Benning
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Nusshag
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Luiza Pego da Silva
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Sommerer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angela Hückelhoven-Krauss
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Czock
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Constantin Schwab
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Waldherr
- Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul Schnitzler
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Virology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Uta Merle
- Department of Gastroenterology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thuong Hien Tran
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Scherer
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jochen Reiser
- Department of Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Martin Zeier
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Schmitt
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Terness
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anita Schmitt
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Daniel
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Morath C, Schmitt A, Schmitt M, Wang L, Kleist C, Opelz G, Süsal C, Tran TH, Scherer S, Schwenger V, Kemmner S, Fischereder M, Stangl M, Hauser IA, Sommerer C, Nusshag C, Kälble F, Speer C, Benning L, Bischofs C, Sauer S, Schubert ML, Kunz A, Hückelhoven-Krauss A, Neuber B, Mehrabi A, Schwab C, Waldherr R, Sander A, Büsch C, Czock D, Böhmig GA, Reiser J, Roers A, Müller-Tidow C, Terness P, Zeier M, Daniel V, Schaier M. Individualised immunosuppression with intravenously administered donor-derived modified immune cells compared with standard of care in living donor kidney transplantation (TOL-2 Study): protocol for a multicentre, open-label, phase II, randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e066128. [PMID: 36368749 PMCID: PMC9660568 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Donor-derived modified immune cells (MIC) induced long-term specific immunosuppression against the allogeneic donor in preclinical models of transplantation. In a phase I clinical trial (TOL-1 Study), MIC treatment resulted in a cellular phenotype that was directly and indirectly suppressive to the recipient's immune system allowing for reduction of conventional immunosuppressive therapy. Here, we describe a protocol for a randomised controlled, multicentre phase-IIb clinical trial of individualised immunosuppression with intravenously administered donor MIC compared with standard-of-care (SoC) in living donor kidney transplantation (TOL-2 Study). METHODS AND ANALYSIS Sixty-three living donor kidney transplant recipients from six German transplant centres are randomised 2:1 to treatment with MIC (MIC group, N=42) or no treatment with MIC (control arm, N=21). MIC are manufactured from donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells under Good Manufacturing Practice conditions. The primary objective of this trial is to determine the efficacy of MIC treatment together with reduced conventional immunosuppressive therapy in terms of achieving an operational tolerance-like phenotype compared with SoC 12 months after MIC administration. Key secondary endpoints are the number of patient-relevant infections as well as a composite of biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss, graft dysfunction or death. Immunosuppressive therapy of MIC-treated patients is reduced during follow-up under an extended immunological monitoring including human leucocyte antigen-antibody testing, and determination of lymphocyte subsets, for example, regulatory B lymphocytes (Breg) and antidonor T cell response. A Data Safety Monitoring Board has been established to allow an independent assessment of safety and efficacy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval has been provided by the Ethics Committee of the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany (AFmu-580/2021, 17 March 2022) and from the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, Paul-Ehrlich-Institute, Langen, Germany (Vorlage-Nr. 4586/02, 21 March 2022). Written informed consent will be obtained from all patients and respective donors prior to enrolment in the study. The results from the TOL-2 Study will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and will be presented at symposia and scientific meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05365672.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Morath
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, DZIF, TTU-IICH, Partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anita Schmitt
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Schmitt
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lei Wang
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Kleist
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Opelz
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - T Hien Tran
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Scherer
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vedat Schwenger
- Department of Nephrology, Transplant Center, Klinikum der Landeshauptstadt Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Stephan Kemmner
- Transplant Center, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Fischereder
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Manfred Stangl
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Ingeborg A Hauser
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Claudia Sommerer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, DZIF, TTU-IICH, Partner site Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Nusshag
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Florian Kälble
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudius Speer
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Louise Benning
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Bischofs
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sandra Sauer
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria-Luisa Schubert
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Kunz
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angela Hückelhoven-Krauss
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Neuber
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Constantin Schwab
- Institut of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Waldherr
- Institut of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anja Sander
- Institut of Medical Biometry, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christopher Büsch
- Institut of Medical Biometry, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Czock
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jochen Reiser
- Department of Medicine, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Axel Roers
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Carsten Müller-Tidow
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter Terness
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Zeier
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Daniel
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Schaier
- TolerogenixX GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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15
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Mayer KA, Omic H, Weseslindtner L, Doberer K, Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Viard T, Tillgren A, Haindl S, Casas S, Eskandary F, Heinzel A, Kozakowski N, Kikić Ž, Böhmig GA, Eder M. Levels of donor-derived cell-free DNA and chemokines in BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy. Clin Transplant 2022; 36:e14785. [PMID: 35894263 PMCID: PMC10078585 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.14785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND BK polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (BKPyVAN) carries a risk of irreversible allograft injury. While detection of BK viremia and biopsy assessment are the current diagnostic gold standard, the diagnostic value of biomarkers reflecting tissue injury (donor-derived cell-free DNA [dd-cfDNA]) or immune activation (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand [CXCL]9 and CXCL10) remains poorly defined. METHODS For this retrospective study, 19 cases of BKPyVAN were selected from the Vienna transplant cohort (biopsies performed between 2012 and 2019). Eight patients with T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), 17 with antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and 10 patients without polyomavirus nephropathy or rejection served as controls. Fractions of dd-cfDNA were quantified using next-generation sequencing and CXCL9 and CXCL10 were detected using multiplex immunoassays. RESULTS BKPyVAN was associated with a slight increase in dd-cfDNA (median; interquartile range: .38% [.27%-1.2%] vs. .21% [.12%-.34%] in non-rejecting control patients; p = .005). Levels were far lower than in ABMR (1.2% [.82%-2.5%]; p = .004]), but not different from TCMR (.54% [.26%-3.56%]; p = .52). Within the BKPyVAN cohort, we found no relationship between dd-cfDNA levels and the extent of tubulo-interstitial infiltrates, BKPyVAN class and BK viremia/viruria, respectively. In some contrast to dd-cfDNA, concentrations of urinary CXCL9 and CXCL10 exceeded those detected in ABMR, but similar increases were also found in TCMR. CONCLUSION BKPyVAN can induce moderate increases in dd-cfDNA and concomitant high urinary excretion of chemokines, but this pattern may be indistinguishable from that of TCMR. Our results argue against a significant value of these biomarkers to reliably distinguish BKPyVAN from rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Haris Omic
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thierry Viard
- CareDx Inc., Brisbane, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Susanne Haindl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Casas
- CareDx Inc., Brisbane, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Heinzel
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Željko Kikić
- Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Eder
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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16
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Eller K, Böhmig GA, Banas MC, Viklicky O. Editorial: Advances in the diagnosis and treatment in kidney transplantation. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:967749. [PMID: 35991631 PMCID: PMC9382307 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.967749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Eller
- Division of Nephrology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- *Correspondence: Kathrin Eller
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam C. Banas
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology, Transplant Center, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
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17
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Halloran PF, Madill‐Thomsen KS, Pon S, Sikosana MLN, Böhmig GA, Bromberg J, Einecke G, Eskandary F, Gupta G, Hidalgo LG, Myslak M, Viklicky O, Perkowska‐Ptasinska A. Molecular diagnosis of ABMR with or without donor-specific antibody in kidney transplant biopsies: Differences in timing and intensity but similar mechanisms and outcomes. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:1976-1991. [PMID: 35575435 PMCID: PMC9540308 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.17092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We studied the clinical, histologic, and molecular features distinguishing DSA-negative from DSA-positive molecularly defined antibody-mediated rejection (mABMR). We analyzed mABMR biopsies with available DSA assessments from the INTERCOMEX study: 148 DSA-negative versus 248 DSA-positive, compared with 864 no rejection (excluding TCMR and Mixed). DSA-positivity varied with mABMR stage: early-stage (EABMR) 56%; fully developed (FABMR) 70%; and late-stage (LABMR) 58%. DSA-negative patients with mABMR were usually sensitized, 60% being HLA antibody-positive. Compared with DSA-positive mABMR, DSA-negative mABMR was more often C4d-negative; earlier by 1.5 years (average 2.4 vs. 3.9 years); and had lower ABMR activity and earlier stage in molecular and histology features. However, the top ABMR-associated transcripts were identical in DSA-negative versus DSA-positive mABMR, for example, NK-associated (e.g., KLRD1 and GZMB) and IFNG-inducible (e.g., PLA1A). Genome-wide class comparison between DSA-negative and DSA-positive mABMR showed no significant differences in transcript expression except those related to lower intensity and earlier time of DSA-negative ABMR. Three-year graft loss in DSA-negative mABMR was the same as DSA-positive mABMR, even after adjusting for ABMR stage. Thus, compared with DSA-positive mABMR, DSA-negative mABMR is on average earlier, less active, and more often C4d-negative but has similar graft loss, and genome-wide analysis suggests that it involves the same mechanisms. SUMMARY SENTENCE: In 398 kidney transplant biopsies with molecular antibody-mediated rejection, the 150 DSA-negative cases are earlier, less intense, and mostly C4d-negative, but use identical molecular mechanisms and have the same risk of graft loss as the 248 DSA-positive cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics CentreEdmontonAlbertaCanada,Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Transplant ImmunologyUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Shane Pon
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics CentreEdmontonAlbertaCanada
| | | | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine IIIMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Gunilla Einecke
- Department of NephrologyHannover Medical SchoolHannoverGermany
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine IIIMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of NephrologyVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Marek Myslak
- Department of Clinical Interventions, Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation SPWSZ HospitalPomeranian Medical UniversitySzczecinPoland
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology and Transplant CenterInstitute for Clinical and Experimental MedicinePragueCzech Republic
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18
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Regele F, Heinzel A, Hu K, Raab L, Eskandary F, Faé I, Zelzer S, Böhmig GA, Bond G, Fischer G, Oberbauer R, Reindl-Schwaighofer R. Stopping of Mycophenolic Acid in Kidney Transplant Recipients for 2 Weeks Peri-Vaccination Does Not Increase Response to SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination-A Non-randomized, Controlled Pilot Study. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:914424. [PMID: 35755078 PMCID: PMC9226446 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.914424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19. However, vaccine response in this population is severely impaired with humoral response rates of 36–54 and 55–69% after two or three doses of SARS-COV-2 vaccines, respectively. Triple immunosuppression and specifically the use of anti-proliferative agents such as mycophenolic acid (MPA) or azathioprine (AZA) have been identified as risk factors for vaccine hypo-responsiveness. Methods We hypothesized that in vaccine non-responders to at least three previous vaccine doses, pausing of MPA or AZA for 1 week before and 1 week after an additional vaccination would improve humoral response rates. We conducted an open-label, non-randomized controlled pilot study including 40 KTR with no detectable humoral response after three or four previous vaccine doses. Primary endpoint was seroconversion following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. MPA and AZA was paused in 18 patients 1 week before until 1 week after an additional vaccine dose while immunosuppression was continued in 22 patients. Results There was no difference in the humoral response rate between the MPA/AZA pause group and the control group (29 vs. 32%, p > 0.99). Absolute antibody levels were also not statistically significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.716).Renal function in the MPA/AZA pause group remained stable and there was no detection of new onset donor-specific antibodies or an increase of donor-derived cell-free DNA serving as a marker of allograft damage throughout the study period. Conclusion Pausing of MPA/AZA for 2 weeks peri-vaccination did not increase the rate of seroconversion in kidney transplant. However, one in three KTR without humoral immune response to at least three previous vaccinations developed antibodies after an additional vaccine dose supporting continued vaccination in non-responders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florina Regele
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Heinzel
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Hu
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Raab
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingrid Faé
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sieglinde Zelzer
- Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnostics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gottfried Fischer
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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19
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Mayer KA, Budde K, Jilma B, Doberer K, Böhmig GA. Emerging drugs for antibody-mediated rejection after kidney transplantation: a focus on phase II & III trials. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2022; 27:151-167. [PMID: 35715978 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2022.2091131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a leading cause of kidney allograft failure. Its therapy continues to be challenge, and no treatment has been approved for the market thus far. AREAS COVERED In this article, we discuss the pathophysiology and phenotypic presentation of ABMR, the current level of evidence to support the use of available therapeutic strategies, and the emergence of tailored drugs now being evaluated in systematic clinical trials. We searched PubMed, Clinicaltrials.gov and Citeline's Pharmaprojects for pertinent information on emerging anti-rejection strategies, laying a focus on phase II and III trials. EXPERT OPINION Currently, we rely on the use of apheresis for alloantibody depletion and intravenous immunoglobulin (referred to as standard of care), preferentially in early active ABMR. Recent systematic trials have questioned the benefits of using the CD20 antibody rituximab or the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. However, there are now several promising treatment approaches in the pipeline, which are being trialed in phase II and III studies. These include interleukin-6 antagonism, CD38-targeting antibodies, and selective inhibitors of complement. On the basis of the information that has emerged so far, it seems that innovative treatment strategies for clinical use in ABMR may be available within the next 5-10 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Jilma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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20
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Bestard O, Thaunat O, Bellini MI, Böhmig GA, Budde K, Claas F, Couzi L, Furian L, Heemann U, Mamode N, Oberbauer R, Pengel L, Schneeberger S, Naesens M. Alloimmune Risk Stratification for Kidney Transplant Rejection. Transpl Int 2022; 35:10138. [PMID: 35669972 PMCID: PMC9163827 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2022.10138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Different types of kidney transplantations are performed worldwide, including biologically diverse donor/recipient combinations, which entail distinct patient/graft outcomes. Thus, proper immunological and non-immunological risk stratification should be considered, especially for patients included in interventional randomized clinical trials. This paper was prepared by a working group within the European Society for Organ Transplantation, which submitted a Broad Scientific Advice request to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relating to clinical trial endpoints in kidney transplantation. After collaborative interactions, the EMA sent its final response in December 2020, highlighting the following: 1) transplantations performed between human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical donors and recipients carry significantly lower immunological risk than those from HLA-mismatched donors; 2) for the same allogeneic molecular HLA mismatch load, kidney grafts from living donors carry significantly lower immunological risk because they are better preserved and therefore less immunogenic than grafts from deceased donors; 3) single-antigen bead testing is the gold standard to establish the repertoire of serological sensitization and is used to define the presence of a recipient's circulating donor-specific antibodies (HLA-DSA); 4) molecular HLA mismatch analysis should help to further improve organ allocation compatibility and stratify immunological risk for primary alloimmune activation, but without consensus regarding which algorithm and cut-off to use it is difficult to integrate information into clinical practice/study design; 5) further clinical validation of other immune assays, such as those measuring anti-donor cellular memory (T/B cell ELISpot assays) and non-HLA-DSA, is needed; 6) routine clinical tests that reliably measure innate immune alloreactivity are lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Bestard
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Vall d'Hebrón University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olivier Thaunat
- Department of Transplantation, Nephrology, and Clinical Immunology, Edouard Herriot Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Georg A Böhmig
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frans Claas
- Eurotransplant Reference Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Lionel Couzi
- Department of Nephrology, Transplantation and Dialysis, Bordeaux University Hospital, Bordeaux, France
| | - Lucrezia Furian
- Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation Unit, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Uwe Heemann
- Department of Nephrology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nizam Mamode
- Department of Transplantation, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Liset Pengel
- Centre for Evidence in Transplantation, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schneeberger
- Department of General, Transplant, and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maarten Naesens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Roufosse C, Becker JU, Rabant M, Seron D, Bellini MI, Böhmig GA, Budde K, Diekmann F, Glotz D, Hilbrands L, Loupy A, Oberbauer R, Pengel L, Schneeberger S, Naesens M. Proposed Definitions of Antibody-Mediated Rejection for Use as a Clinical Trial Endpoint in Kidney Transplantation. Transpl Int 2022; 35:10140. [PMID: 35669973 PMCID: PMC9163810 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2022.10140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is caused by antibodies that recognize donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) or other targets. As knowledge of AMR pathophysiology has increased, a combination of factors is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and phenotype. However, frequent modifications to the AMR definition have made it difficult to compare data and evaluate associations between AMR and graft outcome. The present paper was developed following a Broad Scientific Advice request from the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which explored whether updating guidelines on clinical trial endpoints would encourage innovations in kidney transplantation research. ESOT considers that an AMR diagnosis must be based on a combination of histopathological factors and presence of donor-specific HLA antibodies in the recipient. Evidence for associations between individual features of AMR and impaired graft outcome is noted for microvascular inflammation scores ≥2 and glomerular basement membrane splitting of >10% of the entire tuft in the most severely affected glomerulus. Together, these should form the basis for AMR-related endpoints in clinical trials of kidney transplantation, although modifications and restrictions to the Banff diagnostic definition of AMR are proposed for this purpose. The EMA provided recommendations based on this Broad Scientific Advice request in December 2020; further discussion, and consensus on the restricted definition of the AMR endpoint, is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candice Roufosse
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Ulrich Becker
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Marion Rabant
- Department of Pathology, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Seron
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Vall d'Hebrón University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz Diekmann
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Denis Glotz
- Paris Translational Research Center for Organ Transplantation, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France
| | - Luuk Hilbrands
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Loupy
- Paris Translational Research Center for Organ Transplantation, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France
| | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Liset Pengel
- Centre for Evidence in Transplantation, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schneeberger
- Department of General, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maarten Naesens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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22
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Seron D, Rabant M, Becker JU, Roufosse C, Bellini MI, Böhmig GA, Budde K, Diekmann F, Glotz D, Hilbrands L, Loupy A, Oberbauer R, Pengel L, Schneeberger S, Naesens M. Proposed Definitions of T Cell-Mediated Rejection and Tubulointerstitial Inflammation as Clinical Trial Endpoints in Kidney Transplantation. Transpl Int 2022; 35:10135. [PMID: 35669975 PMCID: PMC9163314 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2022.10135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The diagnosis of acute T cell-mediated rejection (aTCMR) after kidney transplantation has considerable relevance for research purposes. Its definition is primarily based on tubulointerstitial inflammation and has changed little over time; aTCMR is therefore a suitable parameter for longitudinal data comparisons. In addition, because aTCMR is managed with antirejection therapies that carry additional risks, anxieties, and costs, it is a clinically meaningful endpoint for studies. This paper reviews the history and classifications of TCMR and characterizes its potential role in clinical trials: a role that largely depends on the nature of the biopsy taken (indication vs protocol), the level of inflammation observed (e.g., borderline changes vs full TCMR), concomitant chronic lesions (chronic active TCMR), and the therapeutic intervention planned. There is ongoing variability—and ambiguity—in clinical monitoring and management of TCMR. More research, to investigate the clinical relevance of borderline changes (especially in protocol biopsies) and effective therapeutic strategies that improve graft survival rates with minimal patient morbidity, is urgently required. The present paper was developed from documentation produced by the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) as part of a Broad Scientific Advice request that ESOT submitted to the European Medicines Agency for discussion in 2020. This paper proposes to move toward refined definitions of aTCMR and borderline changes to be included as primary endpoints in clinical trials of kidney transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Seron
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Vall d’Hebrón University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marion Rabant
- Department of Pathology, Hôpital Necker–Enfants Malades, Paris, France
| | - Jan Ulrich Becker
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Candice Roufosse
- Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Fritz Diekmann
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Denis Glotz
- Paris Translational Research Center for Organ Transplantation, Hôpital Saint Louis, Paris, France
| | - Luuk Hilbrands
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alexandre Loupy
- Paris Translational Research Center for Organ Transplantation, Hôpital Necker, Paris, France
| | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Liset Pengel
- Centre for Evidence in Transplantation, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schneeberger
- Department of General, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Maarten Naesens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Maarten Naesens,
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Doberer K, Eskandary F, Wahrmann M, Haindl S, A. Böhmig G, Bond G. MO1023: Effects of Bortezomib on Complement Fixation and IGM Reactivity in Late Abmr — Results of A Randomized Controlled Trial (The Borteject Trial). Nephrol Dial Transplant 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfac088.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS
Late antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a cardinal cause of kidney allograft failure. Currently, there is no proven effective treatment for this type of rejection. In a recent randomized controlled trial, we have reported no meaningful effect of plasma cell-directed treatment using the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib on the clinical course of late ABMR (BORTEJECT trial; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01873157; Eskandary et al. J Am Soc Nephrol, 2018; 29: 591). Treatment had also no significant effect on IgG type donor-specific antibody (DSA) patterns, possibly due to rapid reconstitution of the allospecific plasma cell repertoire. To further dissect the impact of bortezomib on donor-specific B cell alloimmunity, we here sought to investigate whether and to what extent bortezomib impacts the dynamics of specific alloreactivity patterns, in particular, the course of IgM type DSA and complement-activating capability of detected DSA.
METHOD
The BORTEJECT trial was a randomized, placebo-controlled parallel group trial designed to investigate whether two cycles of bortezomib (each cycle: 1.3 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 4, 8 and 11) were able to halt the progression of IgG-DSA-positive late ABMR. A total of 44 recipients were randomly assigned to receive bortezomib (n = 21) or placebo (n = 23). In the present re-analysis of biobanked serum samples obtained in the context of the trial, we applied modified single antigen bead assays to assess IgM-DSA and, in addition, complement (C1q) binding. To estimate antibody/complement binding, levels of mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) were recorded. IgM DSA was defined in relation to donor/recipient HLA typing, independently of IgG reactivity patterns.
RESULTS
At baseline, the complement-fixing capability of the immunodominant IgG DSA did not differ between groups. Thirty of 44 patients had detectable IgM DSA at baseline, and we observed a considerable overlap of IgG and IgM DSA specificities (22/30) without group differences. IgM DSA levels were also similar between groups.
Bortezomib treatment did not affect the complement-fixing capability of IgG DSA over time. Similarly, there was no effect on the course of IgM-DSA. There were also no significant differences between groups when analysing percentage changes.
CONCLUSION
A limited course of bortezomib as a sole treatment strategy may not be sufficient to impact on DSA levels, including the evolution of IgM type DSA and the complement-binding capability of detected alloreactivity patterns. Our study results, which may mirror the lack of clinical efficacy, reinforce the need for the development of innovative new strategies to effectively target plasma cells and halt the progression of ABMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Doberer
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Susanne Haindl
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Nephrology and Dialysis, Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
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24
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Halloran PF, Böhmig GA, Bromberg J, Einecke G, Eskandary FA, Gupta G, Myslak M, Viklicky O, Perkowska-Ptasinska A, Madill-Thomsen KS. Archetypal Analysis of Injury in Kidney Transplant Biopsies Identifies Two Classes of Early AKI. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:817324. [PMID: 35463013 PMCID: PMC9021747 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.817324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
All transplanted kidneys are subjected to some degree of injury as a result of the donation-implantation process and various post-transplant stresses such as rejection. Because transplants are frequently biopsied, they present an opportunity to explore the full spectrum of kidney response-to-wounding from all causes. Defining parenchymal damage in transplanted organs is important for clinical management because it determines function and survival. In this study, we classified the scenarios associated with parenchymal injury in genome-wide microarray results from 1,526 kidney transplant indication biopsies collected during the INTERCOMEX study. We defined injury groups by using archetypal analysis (AA) of scores for gene sets and classifiers previously identified in various injury states. Six groups and their characteristics were defined in this population: No injury, minor injury, two classes of acute kidney injury ("AKI," AKI1, and AKI2), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and CKD combined with AKI. We compared the two classes of AKI, namely, AKI1 and AKI2. AKI1 had a poor function and increased parenchymal dedifferentiation but minimal response-to-injury and inflammation, instead having increased expression of PARD3, a gene previously characterized as being related to epithelial polarity and adherens junctions. In contrast, AKI2 had a poor function and increased response-to-injury, significant inflammation, and increased macrophage activity. In random forest analysis, the most important predictors of function (estimated glomerular filtration rate) and graft loss were injury-based molecular scores, not rejection scores. AKI1 and AKI2 differed in 3-year graft survival, with better survival in the AKI2 group. Thus, injury archetype analysis of injury-induced gene expression shows new heterogeneity in kidney response-to-wounding, revealing AKI1, a class of early transplants with a poor function but minimal inflammation or response to injury, a deviant response characterized as PC3, and an increased risk of failure. Given the relationship between parenchymal injury and kidney survival, further characterization of the injury phenotypes in kidney transplants will be important for an improved understanding that could have implications for understanding native kidney diseases (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT01299168).
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Bromberg
- Department of Surgery, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Gunilla Einecke
- Department of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Farsad A Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Marek Myslak
- Department of Clinical Interventions, Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation Samodzielny Publiczny Wojewódzki Szpital Zespolony (SPWSZ) Hospital, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology and Transplant Center, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Agnieszka Perkowska-Ptasinska
- Department of Transplantation Medicine, Nephrology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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25
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Borski A, Kainz A, Kozakowski N, Regele H, Kläger J, Strassl R, Fischer G, Faé I, Wenda S, Kikić Ž, Bond G, Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Mayer KA, Eder M, Wahrmann M, Haindl S, Doberer K, Böhmig GA, Eskandary F. Early Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Trajectories After Kidney Transplant Biopsy as a Surrogate Endpoint for Graft Survival in Late Antibody-Mediated Rejection. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:817127. [PMID: 35530045 PMCID: PMC9069161 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.817127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Late antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) after kidney transplantation is a major cause of long-term allograft loss with currently no proven treatment strategy. Design for trials testing treatment for late ABMR poses a major challenge as hard clinical endpoints require large sample sizes. We performed a retrospective cohort study applying commonly used selection criteria to evaluate the slope of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) within an early and short timeframe after biopsy as a surrogate of future allograft loss for clinical trials addressing late ABMR. Methods Study subjects were identified upon screening of the Vienna transplant biopsy database. Main inclusion criteria were (i) a solitary kidney transplant between 2000 and 2013, (ii) diagnosis of ABMR according to the Banff 2015 scheme at >12 months post-transplantation, (iii) age 15-75 years at ABMR diagnosis, (iv) an eGFR > 25 mL/min/1.73 m2 at ABMR diagnosis, and (v) a follow-up for at least 36 months after ABMR diagnosis. The primary outcome variable was death-censored graft survival. A mixed effects model with linear splines was used for eGFR slope modeling and association of graft failure and eGFR slope was assessed applying a multivariate competing risk analysis with landmarks set at 12 and 24 months after index biopsy. Results A total of 70 allografts from 68 patients were included. An eGFR loss of 1 ml/min/1.73 m2 per year significantly increased the risk for allograft failure, when eGFR slopes were modeled over 12 months [HR 1.1 (95% CI: 1.01-1.3), p = 0.020] or over 24 months [HR 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1-1.4), p = 0.001] after diagnosis of ABMR with landmarks set at both time points. Covariables influencing graft loss in all models were histologic evidence of glomerulonephritis concurring with ABMR as well as the administration of anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) at the time of transplantation. Conclusion Our study supports the use of the eGFR slope modeled for at least 12 months after biopsy-proven diagnosis of late ABMR, as a surrogate parameter for future allograft loss. The simultaneous occurrence of glomerulonephritis together with ABMR at index biopsy and the use of ATG at the time of transplantation-likely representing a confounder in pre-sensitized recipients-were strongly associated with worse transplant outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Borski
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Kainz
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Heinz Regele
- Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Kläger
- Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Division of Clinical Virology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gottfried Fischer
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ingrid Faé
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Wenda
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Željko Kikić
- Department of Urology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Katharina A. Mayer
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Eder
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Haindl
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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26
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Mayer KA, Budde K, Halloran PF, Doberer K, Rostaing L, Eskandary F, Christamentl A, Wahrmann M, Regele H, Schranz S, Ely S, Firbas C, Schörgenhofer C, Kainz A, Loupy A, Härtle S, Boxhammer R, Jilma B, Böhmig GA. Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of monoclonal CD38 antibody felzartamab in late antibody-mediated renal allograft rejection: study protocol for a phase 2 trial. Trials 2022; 23:270. [PMID: 35395951 PMCID: PMC8990453 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06198-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a cardinal cause of renal allograft loss. This rejection type, which may occur at any time after transplantation, commonly presents as a continuum of microvascular inflammation (MVI) culminating in chronic tissue injury. While the clinical relevance of ABMR is well recognized, its treatment, particularly a long time after transplantation, has remained a big challenge. A promising strategy to counteract ABMR may be the use of CD38-directed treatment to deplete alloantibody-producing plasma cells (PC) and natural killer (NK) cells. METHODS This investigator-initiated trial is planned as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group, multi-center phase 2 trial designed to assess the safety and tolerability (primary endpoint), pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the fully human CD38 monoclonal antibody felzartamab (MOR202) in late ABMR. The trial will include 20 anti-HLA donor-specific antibody (DSA)-positive renal allograft recipients diagnosed with active or chronic active ABMR ≥ 180 days post-transplantation. Subjects will be randomized 1:1 to receive felzartamab (16 mg/kg per infusion) or placebo for a period of 6 months (intravenous administration on day 0, and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20 weeks). Two follow-up allograft biopsies will be performed at weeks 24 and 52. Secondary endpoints (preliminary assessment) will include morphologic and molecular rejection activity in renal biopsies, immunologic biomarkers in the blood and urine, and surrogate parameters predicting the progression to allograft failure (slope of renal function; iBOX prediction score). DISCUSSION Based on the hypothesis that felzartamab is able to halt the progression of ABMR via targeting antibody-producing PC and NK cells, we believe that our trial could potentially provide the first proof of concept of a new treatment in ABMR based on a prospective randomized clinical trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT) 2021-000545-40 . Registered on 23 June 2021. CLINICALTRIALS gov NCT05021484 . Registered on 25 August 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Lionel Rostaing
- Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis and Kidney Transplantation Department, University Hospital Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Christamentl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinz Regele
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Schranz
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Ely
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Firbas
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Alexander Kainz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandre Loupy
- INSERM UMR 970, Paris Translational Research Centre for Organ Transplantation, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Bernd Jilma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
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27
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Vietzen H, Döhler B, Tran TH, Süsal C, Halloran PF, Eskandary F, Herz CT, Mayer KA, Kozakowski N, Wahrmann M, Ely S, Haindl S, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Böhmig GA. Deletion of the Natural Killer Cell Receptor NKG2C Encoding KLR2C Gene and Kidney Transplant Outcome. Front Immunol 2022; 13:829228. [PMID: 35401541 PMCID: PMC8987017 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.829228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells may contribute to antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) of renal allografts. The role of distinct NK cell subsets in this specific context, such as NK cells expressing the activating receptor NKG2C, is unknown. Our aim was to investigate whether KLRC2 gene deletion variants which determine NKG2C expression affect the pathogenicity of donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and, if so, influence long-term graft survival. We genotyped the KLRC2wt/del variants for two distinct kidney transplant cohorts, (i) a cross-sectional cohort of 86 recipients who, on the basis of a positive post-transplant DSA result, all underwent allograft biopsies, and (ii) 1,860 recipients of a deceased donor renal allograft randomly selected from the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS) database. In the DSA+ patient cohort, KLRC2wt/wt (80%) was associated with antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR; 65% versus 29% among KLRC2wt/del subjects; P=0.012), microvascular inflammation [MVI; median g+ptc score: 2 (interquartile range: 0-4) versus 0 (0-1), P=0.002], a molecular classifier of ABMR [0.41 (0.14-0.72) versus 0.10 (0.07-0.27), P=0.001], and elevated NK cell-related transcripts (P=0.017). In combined analyses of KLRC2 variants and a functional polymorphism in the Fc gamma receptor IIIA gene (FCGR3A-V/F158), ABMR rates and activity gradually increased with the number of risk genotypes. In DSA+ and CTS cohorts, however, the KLRC2wt/wt variant did not impact long-term death-censored graft survival, also when combined with the FCGR3A-V158 risk variant. KLRC2wt/wt may be associated with DSA-triggered MVI and ABMR-associated gene expression patterns, but the findings observed in a highly selected cohort of DSA+ patients did not translate into meaningful graft survival differences in a large multicenter kidney transplant cohort not selected for HLA sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Vietzen
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Döhler
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thuong Hien Tran
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- Transplant Immunology Research Center of Excellence, Koç Üniversitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre (ATAGC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carsten T. Herz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina A. Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Markus Wahrmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Ely
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Haindl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Georg A. Böhmig, ; Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl,
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- *Correspondence: Georg A. Böhmig, ; Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stöckl,
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28
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Eskandary F, Böhmig GA. ABO-Incompatibility: Time to Challenge the Paradigm of Equivalence in Live-Donor Kidney Transplantation? Transpl Int 2022; 35:10281. [PMID: 35210935 PMCID: PMC8862175 DOI: 10.3389/ti.2022.10281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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29
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Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Heinzel A, Mayrdorfer M, Jabbour R, Hofbauer TM, Merrelaar A, Eder M, Regele F, Doberer K, Spechtl P, Aschauer C, Koblischke M, Paschen C, Eskandary F, Hu K, Öhler B, Bhandal A, Kleibenböck S, Jagoditsch RI, Reiskopf B, Heger F, Bond G, Böhmig GA, Strassl R, Weseslindtner L, Indra A, Aberle JH, Binder M, Oberbauer R. Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response 4 Weeks After Homologous vs Heterologous Third Vaccine Dose in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med 2022; 182:165-171. [PMID: 34928302 PMCID: PMC8689434 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.7372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Fewer than 50% of kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) develop antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine. Preliminary data suggest that a heterologous vaccination, combining mRNA and viral vector vaccines, may increase immunogenicity. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a third dose of an mRNA vs a vector vaccine in KTRs who did not have antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein after 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This was a single center, single-blinded, 1:1 randomized clinical trial of a third dose of vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, conducted from June 15 to August 16, 2021, in 201 KTRs who had not developed SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antibodies after 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine. Data analyses were performed from August 17 to August 31, 2021. INTERVENTIONS mRNA (BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273) or vector (Ad26COVS1) as a third dose of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary study end point was seroconversion after 4 weeks (29-42 days) following the third vaccine dose. Secondary end points included neutralizing antibodies and T-cell response assessed by interferon-γ release assays (IGRA). In addition, the association of patient characteristics and vaccine response was assessed using logistic regression, and the reactogenicity of the vaccines was compared. RESULTS Among the study population of 197 kidney transplant recipients (mean [SD] age, 61.2 [12.4] years; 82 [42%] women), 39% developed SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after the third vaccine. There was no statistically significant difference between groups, with an antibody response rate of 35% and 42% for the mRNA and vector vaccines, respectively. Only 22% of seroconverted patients had neutralizing antibodies. Similarly, T-cell response assessed by IGRA was low with only 17 patients showing a positive response after the third vaccination. Receiving nontriple immunosuppression (odds ratio [OR], 3.59; 95% CI, 1.33-10.75), longer time after kidney transplant (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.15-1.83, per doubling of years), and torque teno virus plasma levels (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88-0.96, per doubling of levels) were associated with vaccine response. The third dose of an mRNA vaccine was associated with a higher frequency of local pain at the injection site compared with the vector vaccine, while systemic symptoms were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This randomized clinical trial found that 39% of KTRs without an immune response against SARS-CoV-2 after 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein 4 weeks after a third dose of an mRNA or a vector vaccine. The heterologous vaccination strategy with a vector-based vaccine was well tolerated and safe but not significantly better than the homologous mRNA-based strategy. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT Identifier: 2021-002927-39.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Heinzel
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Mayrdorfer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rhea Jabbour
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas M Hofbauer
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine II, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anne Merrelaar
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Eder
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florina Regele
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Spechtl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Constantin Aschauer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Christopher Paschen
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Hu
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Barbara Öhler
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Arshdeep Bhandal
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Kleibenböck
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rahel I Jagoditsch
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bianca Reiskopf
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florian Heger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Division of Virology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Alexander Indra
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, Vienna, Austria.,Paracelsus Medical University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Judith H Aberle
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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30
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Banas MC, Böhmig GA, Viklicky O, Rostaing LP, Jouve T, Guirado L, Facundo C, Bestard O, Gröne HJ, Kobayashi K, Hanzal V, Putz FJ, Zecher D, Bergler T, Neumann S, Rothe V, Schwäble Santamaria AG, Schiffer E, Banas B. A Prospective Multicenter Trial to Evaluate Urinary Metabolomics for Non-invasive Detection of Renal Allograft Rejection (PARASOL): Study Protocol and Patient Recruitment. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:780585. [PMID: 35071266 PMCID: PMC8782243 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.780585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In an earlier monocentric study, we have developed a novel non-invasive test system for the prediction of renal allograft rejection, based on the detection of a specific urine metabolite constellation. To further validate our results in a large real-world patient cohort, we designed a multicentric observational prospective study (PARASOL) including six independent European transplant centers. This article describes the study protocol and characteristics of recruited better patients as subjects. Methods: Within the PARASOL study, urine samples were taken from renal transplant recipients when kidney biopsies were performed. According to the Banff classification, urine samples were assigned to a case group (renal allograft rejection), a control group (normal renal histology), or an additional group (kidney damage other than rejection). Results: Between June 2017 and March 2020, 972 transplant recipients were included in the trial (1,230 urine samples and matched biopsies, respectively). Overall, 237 samples (19.3%) were assigned to the case group, 541 (44.0%) to the control group, and 452 (36.7%) samples to the additional group. About 65.9% were obtained from male patients, the mean age of transplant recipients participating in the study was 53.7 ± 13.8 years. The most frequently used immunosuppressive drugs were tacrolimus (92.8%), mycophenolate mofetil (88.0%), and steroids (79.3%). Antihypertensives and antidiabetics were used in 88.0 and 27.4% of the patients, respectively. Approximately 20.9% of patients showed the presence of circulating donor-specific anti-HLA IgG antibodies at time of biopsy. Most of the samples (51.1%) were collected within the first 6 months after transplantation, 48.0% were protocol biopsies, followed by event-driven (43.6%), and follow-up biopsies (8.5%). Over time the proportion of biopsies classified into the categories Banff 4 (T-cell-mediated rejection [TCMR]) and Banff 1 (normal tissue) decreased whereas Banff 2 (antibody-mediated rejection [ABMR]) and Banff 5I (mild interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy) increased to 84.2 and 74.5%, respectively, after 4 years post transplantation. Patients with rejection showed worse kidney function than patients without rejection. Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of subjects recruited indicate a patient cohort typical for routine renal transplantation all over Europe. A typical shift from T-cellular early rejections episodes to later antibody mediated allograft damage over time after renal transplantation further strengthens the usefulness of our cohort for the evaluation of novel biomarkers for allograft damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam C Banas
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Transplant Laboratory, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), Prague, Czechia.,Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), Prague, Czechia
| | - Lionel P Rostaing
- Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis and Kidney Transplantation Department, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France.,Faculty of Health, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble, France
| | - Thomas Jouve
- Nephrology, Hemodialysis, Apheresis and Kidney Transplantation Department, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France
| | - Lluis Guirado
- Nephrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Medicine Department-Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, REDinREN, Instituto de Investigación Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carme Facundo
- Nephrology Department, Fundació Puigvert, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Medicine Department-Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona, REDinREN, Instituto de Investigación Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oriol Bestard
- Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (HUVH), Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Vladimir Hanzal
- Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), Prague, Czechia
| | - Franz Josef Putz
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Zecher
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Bergler
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Bernhard Banas
- Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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31
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Osickova K, Hruba P, Kabrtova K, Klema J, Maluskova J, Slavcev A, Slatinska J, Marada T, Böhmig GA, Viklicky O. Predictive Potential of Flow Cytometry Crossmatching in Deceased Donor Kidney Transplant Recipients Subjected to Peritransplant Desensitization. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:780636. [PMID: 34970564 PMCID: PMC8712553 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.780636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recipient sensitization is a major risk factor of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and inferior graft survival. The predictive effect of solid-phase human leukocyte antigen antibody testing and flow cytometry crossmatch (FCXM) in the era of peritransplant desensitization remains poorly understood. This observational retrospective single-center study with 108 donor-specific antibody (DSA)-positive deceased donor kidney allograft recipients who had undergone peritransplant desensitization aimed to analyze variables affecting graft outcome. ABMR rates were highest among patients with positive pretransplant FCXM vs. FCXM-negative (76 vs. 18.7%, p < 0.001) and with donor-specific antibody mean fluorescence intensity (DSA MFI) > 5,000 vs. <5,000 (54.5 vs. 28%, p = 0.01) despite desensitization. In univariable Cox regression, FCXM positivity, retransplantation, recipient gender, immunodominant DSA MFI, DSA number, and peak panel reactive antibodies were found to be associated with ABMR occurrence. In multivariable Cox regression adjusted for desensitization treatment (AUC = 0.810), only FCXM positivity (HR = 4.6, p = 0.001) and DSA number (HR = 1.47, p = 0.039) remained significant. In conclusion, our data suggest that pretransplant FCXM and DSA number, but not DSA MFI, are independent predictors of ABMR in patients who received peritransplant desensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Osickova
- Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Hruba
- Transplant Laboratory, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Katerina Kabrtova
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiri Klema
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jana Maluskova
- Department of Pathology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia.,Aesculab Pathology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Antonij Slavcev
- Department of Immunogenetics, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Janka Slatinska
- Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tomas Marada
- Department of Transplant Surgery, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czechia
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32
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Madill-Thomsen KS, Böhmig GA, Bromberg J, Einecke G, Eskandary F, Gupta G, Hidalgo LG, Myslak M, Viklicky O, Perkowska-Ptasinska A, Halloran PF. Donor-Specific Antibody Is Associated with Increased Expression of Rejection Transcripts in Renal Transplant Biopsies Classified as No Rejection. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:2743-2758. [PMID: 34253587 PMCID: PMC8806080 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2021040433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Donor -specific HLA antibody (DSA) is present in many kidney transplant patients whose biopsies are classified as no rejection (NR). We explored whether in some NR kidneys DSA has subtle effects not currently being recognized. METHODS We used microarrays to examine the relationship between standard-of-care DSA and rejection-related transcript increases in 1679 kidney transplant indication biopsies in the INTERCOMEX study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01299168), focusing on biopsies classified as NR by automatically assigned archetypal clustering. DSA testing results were available for 835 NR biopsies and were positive in 271 (32%). RESULTS DSA positivity in NR biopsies was associated with mildly increased expression of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR)-related transcripts, particularly IFNG-inducible and NK cell transcripts. We developed a machine learning DSA probability (DSAProb) classifier based on transcript expression in biopsies from DSA-positive versus DSA-negative patients, assigning scores using 10-fold cross-validation. This DSAProb classifier was very similar to a previously described "ABMR probability" classifier trained on histologic ABMR in transcript associations and prediction of molecular or histologic ABMR. Plotting the biopsies using Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection revealed a gradient of increasing molecular ABMR-like transcript expression in NR biopsies, associated with increased DSA (P<2 × 10-16). In biopsies with no molecular or histologic rejection, increased DSAProb or ABMR probability scores were associated with increased risk of kidney failure over 3 years. CONCLUSIONS Many biopsies currently considered to have no molecular or histologic rejection have mild increases in expression of ABMR-related transcripts, associated with increasing frequency of DSA. Thus, mild molecular ABMR-related pathology is more common than previously realized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jonathan Bromberg
- Departments of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Gunilla Einecke
- Department of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Luis G. Hidalgo
- Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Marek Myslak
- Pomeranian Medical University, Department of Clinical Interventions and Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, Samodzielny Publiczny Wojewodzki Szpital Zespolony, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology and Transplant Center, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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33
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Halloran PF, Madill-Thomsen KS, Böhmig GA, Myslak M, Gupta G, Kumar D, Viklicky O, Perkowska-Ptasinska A, Famulski KS. A 2-fold Approach to Polyoma Virus (BK) Nephropathy in Kidney Transplants: Distinguishing Direct Virus Effects From Cognate T Cell-mediated Inflammation. Transplantation 2021; 105:2374-2384. [PMID: 34310102 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0000000000003884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND BK nephropathy (BKN) in kidney transplants diagnosed by histology is challenging because it involves damage from both virus activity and cognate T cell-mediated inflammation, directed against alloantigens (rejection) or viral antigens. The present study of indication biopsies from the Integrated Diagnostic System in the International Collaborative Microarray Study Extension study measured major capsid viral protein 2 (VP2) mRNA to assess virus activity and a T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) classifier to assess cognate T cell-mediated inflammation. METHODS Biopsies were assessed by local standard-of-care histology and by genome-wide microarrays and Molecular Microscope Diagnostic System (MMDx) algorithms to detect rejection and injury. In a subset of 102 biopsies (50 BKN and 52 BKN-negative biopsies with various abnormalities), we measured VP2 transcripts by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS BKN was diagnosed in 55 of 1679 biopsies; 30 had cognate T cell-mediated activity assessed by by MMDx and TCMR lesions, but only 3 of 30 were histologically diagnosed as TCMR. We developed a BKN probability classifier that predicted histologic BKN (area under the curve = 0.82). Virus activity (VP2 expression) was highly selective for BKN (area under the curve = 0.94) and correlated with acute injury, atrophy-fibrosis, macrophage activation, and the BKN classifier, but not with the TCMR classifier. BKN with molecular TCMR had more tubulitis and inflammation than BKN without molecular TCMR. In 5 BKN cases with second biopsies, VP2 mRNA decreased in second biopsies, whereas in 4 of 5 TCMR classifiers, scores increased. Genes and pathways associated with BKN and VP2 mRNA were similar, reflecting injury, inflammation, and macrophage activation but none was selective for BKN. CONCLUSIONS Risk-benefit decisions in BKN may be assisted by quantitative assessment of the 2 major pathologic processes, virus activity and cognate T cell-mediated inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marek Myslak
- Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation, SPWSZ Hospital in Szczecin, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Dhiren Kumar
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology and Transplant Center, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
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34
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Wahrmann M, Döhler B, Arnold ML, Scherer S, Mayer KA, Haindl S, Haslacher H, Böhmig GA, Süsal C. Functional Fc Gamma Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Long-Term Kidney Allograft Survival. Front Immunol 2021; 12:724331. [PMID: 34497614 PMCID: PMC8420807 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.724331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The functional Fc gamma receptor (FcγR) IIIA polymorphism FCGR3A-V/F158 was earlier suggested to determine the potential of donor-specific HLA antibodies to trigger microcirculation inflammation, a key lesion of antibody-mediated renal allograft rejection. Associations with long-term transplant outcomes, however, have not been evaluated to date. To clarify the impact of FCGR3A-V/F158 polymorphism on kidney transplant survival, we genotyped a cohort of 1,940 recipient/donor pairs. Analyzing 10-year death-censored allograft survival, we found no significant differences in relation to FCGR3A-V/F158. There was also no independent survival effect in a multivariable Cox model. Similarly, functional polymorphisms in two other activating FcγR, FCGR2A-H/R131 (FcγRIIA) and FCGR3B-NA1/NA2 (FcγRIIIB), were not associated with outcome. There were also no significant survival differences among patient subgroups at increased risk of rejection-related injury, such as pre-sensitized recipients (> 0% panel reactivity; n = 438) or recipients treated for rejection within the first year after transplantation (n = 229). Our study results suggest that the earlier shown association of FcγR polymorphism with microcirculation inflammation may not be strong enough to exert a meaningful effect on graft survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Wahrmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernd Döhler
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marie-Luise Arnold
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, Institute for Clinical Immunology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sabine Scherer
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Haindl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmuth Haslacher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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35
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Mayer KA, Doberer K, Tillgren A, Viard T, Haindl S, Krivanec S, Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Eder M, Eskandary F, Casas S, Wahrmann M, Regele H, Böhmig GA. Diagnostic value of donor-derived cell-free DNA to predict antibody-mediated rejection in donor-specific antibody-positive renal allograft recipients. Transpl Int 2021; 34:1689-1702. [PMID: 34448270 PMCID: PMC8456909 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Circulating donor‐specific antibodies (DSA) do not necessarily indicate antibody‐mediated rejection (ABMR). Here, we evaluated the diagnostic value of donor‐derived cell‐free DNA (dd‐cfDNA) as an add‐on to DSA detection. The study included two independent cohorts of DSA+ kidney allograft recipients, 45 subclinical cases identified by cross‐sectional antibody screening (cohort 1), and 30 recipients subjected to indication biopsies (cohort 2). About 50% of the DSA+ recipients had ABMR and displayed higher dd‐cfDNA levels than DSA+ABMR− recipients (cohort 1: 1.90% [median; IQR: 0.78–3.90%] vs. 0.52% [0.35–0.72%]; P < 0.001); (cohort 2: 1.20% [0.82–2.50%] vs. 0.59% [0.28–2.05%]; P = 0.086). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.89 and 0.69 for dd‐cfDNA, and 0.88 and 0.77 for DSA mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), respectively. In combined models, adding dd‐cfDNA to DSA‐MFI or vice versa significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy. Limited diagnostic performance of dd‐cfDNA in cohort 2 was related to the frequent finding of other types of graft injury among ABMR− recipients, like T cell‐mediated rejection or glomerulonephritis. For dd‐cfDNA in relation to injury of any cause an AUC of 0.97 was calculated. Monitoring of dd‐cfDNA in DSA+ patients may be a useful tool to detect ABMR and other types of injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Susanne Haindl
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Krivanec
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Eder
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Casas
- CareDx Inc., Brisbane, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heinz Regele
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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36
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Mühlbacher J, Schörgenhofer C, Doberer K, Dürr M, Budde K, Eskandary F, Mayer KA, Schranz S, Ely S, Reiter B, Chong E, Adler SH, Jilma B, Böhmig GA. Anti-interleukin-6 antibody clazakizumab in late antibody-mediated kidney transplant rejection: effect on cytochrome P450 drug metabolism. Transpl Int 2021; 34:1542-1552. [PMID: 34153143 PMCID: PMC8456861 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Targeting interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a promising strategy to counteract antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). In inflammatory states, IL-6 antagonism was shown to modulate cytochrome P450 (CYP), but its impact on drug metabolism in ABMR treatment was not addressed so far. We report a sub-study of a phase 2 trial of anti-IL-6 antibody clazakizumab in late ABMR (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03444103). Twenty kidney transplant recipients were randomized to clazakizumab versus placebo (4-weekly doses; 12 weeks), followed by a 9-month extension where all recipients received clazakizumab. To study CYP2C19/CYP3A4 metabolism, we administered pantoprazole (20 mg intravenously) at prespecified time points. Dose-adjusted C0 levels (C0 /D ratio) of tacrolimus (n = 13) and cyclosporin A (CyA, n = 6) were monitored at 4-weekly intervals. IL-6 and C-reactive protein were not elevated at baseline, the latter was then suppressed to undetectable levels under clazakizumab. IL-6 blockade had no clinically meaningful impact on pantoprazole pharmacokinetics (area under the curve; baseline versus week 52: 3.16 [2.21-7.84] versus 4.22 [1.99-8.18] μg/ml*h, P = 0.36) or calcineurin inhibitor C0 /D ratios (tacrolimus: 1.49 [1.17-3.20] versus 1.37 [0.98-2.42] ng/ml/mg, P = 0.21; CyA: 0.69 [0.57-0.85] versus 1.08 [0.52-1.38] ng/ml/mg, P = 0.47). We conclude that IL-6 blockade in ABMR - in absence of systemic inflammation - may have no meaningful effect on CYP metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Mühlbacher
- Department of General Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Dürr
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabine Schranz
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Ely
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Birgit Reiter
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Edward Chong
- Vitaeris Inc. (a subsidiary of CSL Behring, King of Prussia, PA, USA), Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Bernd Jilma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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37
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Kläger J, Eskandary F, Böhmig GA, Kozakowski N, Kainz A, Colin Aronovicz Y, Cartron JP, Segerer S, Regele H. Renal allograft DARCness in subclinical acute and chronic active ABMR. Transpl Int 2021; 34:1494-1505. [PMID: 33983671 PMCID: PMC8453966 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression profiling of renal allograft biopsies revealed the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) as being strikingly upregulated in antibody‐mediated rejection (ABMR). DARC has previously been shown to be associated with endothelial injury. This study aimed at assessing the value of DARC immunohistochemistry as diagnostic marker in ABMR. The study was performed on 82 prospectively collected biopsies of a clinically well‐defined population (BORTEJECT trial, NCT01873157) of DSA‐positive patients with gene expression data available for all biopsies. Diagnostic histologic assessment of biopsies was performed according to the Banff diagnostic scheme. DARC expression was focally accentuated, on peritubular capillaries (PTC) mostly in areas of interstitial fibrosis and/or inflammation. DARC positivity was associated with diagnosis of ABMR and correlated with DARC gene expression levels detected by microarray analysis. Still, as previously described, a substantial number of biopsies without signs of rejection showed DARC‐positive PTC. We did not observe significantly reduced graft survival in cases showing histologic signs of ABMR and being DARC‐positive, as compared to DARC‐negative ABMR. In summary, the upregulation of DARC, detected by immunohistochemistry, is associated with but not specific for ABMR. We did not observe reduced graft survival in DARC‐positive patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Kläger
- Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Alexander Kainz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Yves Colin Aronovicz
- Laboratoire d'Excellence GR-Ex, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Pierre Cartron
- Université Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris Diderot, Inserm U1134, Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Unité Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, Paris, France
| | - Stephan Segerer
- Division of Nephrology, Dialysis and Transplantation, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Regele
- Department of Pathology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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38
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Halloran PF, Böhmig GA, Bromberg JS, Budde K, Gupta G, Einecke G, Eskandary F, Madill-Thomsen K, Reeve J. Discovering novel injury features in kidney transplant biopsies associated with TCMR and donor aging. Am J Transplant 2021; 21:1725-1739. [PMID: 33107191 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We previously characterized the molecular changes in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in kidney transplant biopsies, but parenchymal changes selective for specific types of injury could be missed by such analyses. The present study searched for injury changes beyond AKI and CKD related to specific scenarios, including correlations with donor age. We defined injury using previously defined gene sets and classifiers and used principal component analysis to discover new injury dimensions. As expected, Dimension 1 distinguished normal vs. injury, and Dimension 2 separated early AKI from late CKD, correlating with time posttransplant. However, Dimension 3 was novel, distinguishing a set of genes related to epithelial polarity (e.g., PARD3) that were increased in early AKI and decreased in T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) but not in antibody-mediated rejection. Dimension 3 was increased in kidneys from older donors and was particularly important in survival of early kidneys. Thus high Dimension 3 scores emerge as a previously unknown element in the kidney response-to-injury that affects epithelial polarity genes and is increased in AKI but depressed in TCMR, indicating that in addition to general injury elements, certain injury elements are selective for specific pathologic mechanisms. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01299168).
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Transplant Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Klemens Budde
- Charite-Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | | | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Jeff Reeve
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Einecke G, Reeve J, Gupta G, Böhmig GA, Eskandary F, Bromberg JS, Budde K, Halloran PF. Factors associated with kidney graft survival in pure antibody-mediated rejection at the time of indication biopsy: Importance of parenchymal injury but not disease activity. Am J Transplant 2021; 21:1391-1401. [PMID: 32594646 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
We studied the relative association of clinical, histologic, and molecular variables with risk of kidney transplant failure after an indication biopsy, both in all kidneys and in kidneys with pure antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). From a prospective study of 1679 biopsies with histologic and molecular testing, we selected one random biopsy per patient (N = 1120), including 321 with pure molecular ABMR. Diagnoses were associated with actuarial survival differences but not good predictions. Therefore we concentrated on clinical (estimated GFR [eGFR], proteinuria, time posttransplant, donor-specific antibody [DSA]) and molecular and histologic features reflecting injury (acute kidney injury [AKI] and atrophy-fibrosis [chronic kidney disease (CKD)] and rejection. For all biopsies, univariate analysis found that failure was strongly associated with low eGFR, AKI, CKD, and glomerular deterioration, but not with rejection activity. In molecular ABMR, the findings were similar: Molecular and histologic activity and DSA were not important compared with injury. Survival in DSA-negative and DSA-positive molecular ABMR was similar. Multivariate survival analysis confirmed the dominance of molecular AKI, CKD, and eGFR. Thus, at indication biopsy, the dominant predictors of failure, both in all kidneys and in ABMR, were related to molecular AKI and CKD and to eGFR, not rejection activity, presumably because rejection confers risk via injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunilla Einecke
- Department of Nephrology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jeff Reeve
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Division of Nephrology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité-University Hospital Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Doberer K, Duerr M, Halloran PF, Eskandary F, Budde K, Regele H, Reeve J, Borski A, Kozakowski N, Reindl-Schwaighofer R, Waiser J, Lachmann N, Schranz S, Firbas C, Mühlbacher J, Gelbenegger G, Perkmann T, Wahrmann M, Kainz A, Ristl R, Halleck F, Bond G, Chong E, Jilma B, Böhmig GA. A Randomized Clinical Trial of Anti-IL-6 Antibody Clazakizumab in Late Antibody-Mediated Kidney Transplant Rejection. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:708-722. [PMID: 33443079 PMCID: PMC7920172 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2020071106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Late antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is a leading cause of transplant failure. Blocking IL-6 has been proposed as a promising therapeutic strategy. METHODS We performed a phase 2 randomized pilot trial to evaluate the safety (primary endpoint) and efficacy (secondary endpoint analysis) of the anti-IL-6 antibody clazakizumab in late ABMR. The trial included 20 kidney transplant recipients with donor-specific, antibody-positive ABMR ≥365 days post-transplantation. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive 25 mg clazakizumab or placebo (4-weekly subcutaneous injections) for 12 weeks (part A), followed by a 40-week open-label extension (part B), during which time all participants received clazakizumab. RESULTS Five (25%) patients under active treatment developed serious infectious events, and two (10%) developed diverticular disease complications, leading to trial withdrawal. Those receiving clazakizumab displayed significantly decreased donor-specific antibodies and, on prolonged treatment, modulated rejection-related gene-expression patterns. In 18 patients, allograft biopsies after 51 weeks revealed a negative molecular ABMR score in seven (38.9%), disappearance of capillary C4d deposits in five (27.8%), and resolution of morphologic ABMR activity in four (22.2%). Although proteinuria remained stable, the mean eGFR decline during part A was slower with clazakizumab compared with placebo (-0.96; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], -1.96 to 0.03 versus -2.43; 95% CI, -3.40 to -1.46 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per month, respectively, P=0.04). During part B, the slope of eGFR decline for patients who were switched from placebo to clazakizumab improved and no longer differed significantly from patients initially allocated to clazakizumab. CONCLUSIONS Although safety data indicate the need for careful patient selection and monitoring, our preliminary efficacy results suggest a potentially beneficial effect of clazakizumab on ABMR activity and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Duerr
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Philip F. Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens Budde
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Heinz Regele
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jeff Reeve
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anita Borski
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Nicolas Kozakowski
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roman Reindl-Schwaighofer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Waiser
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Lachmann
- Centre for Tumor Medicine, Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics Laboratory, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Schranz
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christa Firbas
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Mühlbacher
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Gelbenegger
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Perkmann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Wahrmann
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexander Kainz
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Robin Ristl
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabian Halleck
- Department of Nephrology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gregor Bond
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Bernd Jilma
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Mayer KA, Doberer K, Eskandary F, Halloran PF, Böhmig GA. New concepts in chronic antibody-mediated kidney allograft rejection: prevention and treatment. Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2021; 26:97-105. [PMID: 33315763 DOI: 10.1097/mot.0000000000000832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Chronic antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a cardinal cause of transplant failure, with currently no proven effective prevention or treatment. The present review will focus on new therapeutic concepts currently under clinical evaluation. RECENT FINDINGS One interesting treatment approach may be interference with interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling to modulate B-cell immunity and donor-specific antibody (DSA) production. Currently, a large phase III randomized controlled trial is underway to clarify the safety and efficacy of clazakizumab, a high-affinity anti-IL-6 antibody, in chronic AMR. A prevention/treatment strategy may be costimulation blockade using belatacept to interfere with germinal center responses and DSA formation. In a recent uncontrolled study, belatacept conversion was shown to stabilize renal function and dampen AMR activity. Moreover, preliminary clinical results suggest efficacy of CD38 antibodies to deplete plasma and natural killer cells to treat AMR, with anecdotal reports demonstrating at least transient resolution of active rejection. SUMMARY There are promising concepts on the horizon for the prevention and treatment of chronic AMR. The design of adequately powered placebo-controlled trials to clarify the safety and efficacy of such new therapies, however, remains a big challenge, and will rely on the definition of precise surrogate endpoints predicting long-term allograft survival. Mapping the natural history of AMR would greatly help the understanding of who would derive benefits from treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina A Mayer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Philip F Halloran
- Alberta Transplant Applied Genomics Centre (ATAGC), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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42
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Haninger-Vacariu N, Aigner C, Gaggl M, Kain R, Prohászka Z, Böhmig GA, Sunder-Plassmann R, Sunder-Plassmann G, Schmidt A. Pregnancies in kidney transplant recipients with complement gene variant-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy. Clin Kidney J 2020; 14:1255-1260. [PMID: 33841869 PMCID: PMC8023217 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfaa113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Pregnancies in patients with complement gene variant-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (cTMA) are challenging, and pregnancies in such patients after kidney transplantation (KTX) are even more so. Methods We identified nine pregnancies following KTX of three genetically high-risk cTMA patients enrolled in the Vienna thrombotic microangiopathy cohort. Preventive plasma therapy was used in three pregnancies, and one patient had ongoing eculizumab (ECU) therapy during two pregnancies. Results Seven out of nine pregnancies (78%) resulted in the delivery of healthy children. The other two included one early abortion at gestational Week 12 during ongoing ECU therapy and one late foetal death at gestational Week 33 + 3, most likely not related to complement dysregulation. Kidney transplant function after delivery remained stable in all but one pregnancy. In the aforementioned case, a severe cTMA flare occurred after delivery despite use of preventive plasma infusions. Kidney graft function could be rescued in this patient by ECU. As such, successful pregnancies can be accomplished in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with a history of cTMA. We used preemptive plasma therapy or ongoing ECU treatment in selected cases. Conclusions Thus, becoming pregnant can be encouraged in KTRs with native kidney cTMA. Extensive preconception counselling, however, is mandatory in such cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalja Haninger-Vacariu
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christof Aigner
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martina Gaggl
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Renate Kain
- Clinical Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoltán Prohászka
- 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Research Laboratory, MTA-SE Research Group of Immunology and Hematology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raute Sunder-Plassmann
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Genetics Laboratory, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gere Sunder-Plassmann
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alice Schmidt
- Department of Medicine III, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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43
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Doberer K, Schiemann M, Strassl R, Haupenthal F, Dermuth F, Görzer I, Eskandary F, Reindl‐Schwaighofer R, Kikić Ž, Puchhammer‐Stöckl E, Böhmig GA, Bond G. Torque teno virus for risk stratification of graft rejection and infection in kidney transplant recipients-A prospective observational trial. Am J Transplant 2020; 20:2081-2090. [PMID: 32034850 PMCID: PMC7496119 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.15810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The nonpathogenic and ubiquitous torque teno virus (TTV) is associated with immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients. Studies in kidney transplant patients proposed TTV quantification for risk stratification of graft rejection and infection. In this prospective trial (DRKS00012335) 386 consecutive kidney transplant recipients were subjected to longitudinal per-protocol monitoring of plasma TTV load by polymerase chain reaction for 12 months posttransplant. TTV load peaked at the end of month 3 posttransplant and reached steady state thereafter. TTV load after the end of month 3 was analyzed in the context of subsequent rejection diagnosed by indication biopsy and infection within the first year posttransplant, respectively. Each log increase in TTV load decreased the odds for rejection by 22% (odds ratio [OR] 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.97; P = .027) and increased the odds for infection by 11% (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06-1.15; P < .001). TTV was quantified at a median of 14 days before rejection was diagnosed and 27 days before onset of infection, respectively. We defined a TTV load between 1 × 106 and 1 × 108 copies/mL as optimal range to minimize the risk for rejection and infection. These data support the initiation of an interventional trial assessing the efficacy of TTV-guided immunosuppression to reduce infection and graft rejection in kidney transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Doberer
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Martin Schiemann
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Robert Strassl
- Division of VirologyDepartment of Laboratory MedicineMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Frederik Haupenthal
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Florentina Dermuth
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Irene Görzer
- Center for VirologyMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Željko Kikić
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Gregor Bond
- Division of Nephrology and DialysisDepartment of Medicine IIIMedical University ViennaViennaAustria
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Viklicky O, Krivanec S, Vavrinova H, Berlakovich G, Marada T, Slatinska J, Neradova T, Zamecnikova R, Salat A, Hofmann M, Fischer G, Slavcev A, Chromy P, Oberbauer R, Pantoflicek T, Wenda S, Lehner E, Fae I, Ferrari P, Fronek J, Böhmig GA. Crossing borders to facilitate live donor kidney transplantation: the Czech‐Austrian kidney paired donation program – a retrospective study. Transpl Int 2020; 33:1199-1210. [DOI: 10.1111/tri.13668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Sebastian Krivanec
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis Department of Medicine III Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Hana Vavrinova
- Department of Nephrology Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | | | - Tomas Marada
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Janka Slatinska
- Department of Nephrology Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Neradova
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Renata Zamecnikova
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Andreas Salat
- Department of Surgery Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Michael Hofmann
- Department of Surgery Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Gottfried Fischer
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Antonij Slavcev
- Department of Immunogenetics Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Chromy
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Rainer Oberbauer
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis Department of Medicine III Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Tomas Pantoflicek
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Sabine Wenda
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Elisabeth Lehner
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis Department of Medicine III Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Ingrid Fae
- Department of Blood Group Serology and Transfusion Medicine Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Paolo Ferrari
- Department of Nephrology Ospedale Civico Lugano, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale Lugano Switzerland
- Biomedical Faculty Università della Svizzera Italiana Lugano Switzerland
- Clinical School University of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | - Jiri Fronek
- Department of Surgery Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague Czech Republic
| | - Georg A. Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis Department of Medicine III Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
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Kikić Ž, Omic H, Böhmig GA, Kozakowski N, Eder M. P1670GLOMERULAR C4D IN POST-TRANSPLANT IG-A GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DECREASED ALLOGRAFT SURVIVAL. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa142.p1670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aims
Post transplant (pTX) glomerulonephritis (GN) is an important factor contributing to early and late allograft failure. De novo or recurrent IgA GN are the most frequent pTX-GN forms, however little is known about the optimal risk and therapeutic assessment. Recently, immunopathological evidence of glomerular C4d staining has been suggested as a prognostic tool in native glomerular kidney disease, in particular IgA GN. While peritubular capillary C4d is an accepted diagnostic criterion for antibody mediated rejection (ABMR), the role of glomerular C4d in pTX-GN is unkown. The primary hypothesis was that the finding of immunohistochemical glomerular C4d may be associated renal graft survival in post TX IgA GN.
Method
This large retrospective cohort study included all indication biopsies performed for cause in 885 kidney allografts from 1999-2006. Cases were screened for biopsy verified de novo or recurrent pTX-GN. GN cases were re-assessed by a single nephropathologist (NK). Primary endpoint was death-sensored graft survival followed until 01.01.2017.
Results
The prevalence of pTX-GN was 9.6% (n=85/885). De novo or recurrent IgA-GN was the most common pTX GN form with 40%. Of the 34 cases with pTX IgA GN, 27 had adequate material for interpretation of immunohistochemical glomerular C4d in the biopsy specimen. Eighteen of the 27 cases (66%) with pTx-IgA GN showed positive immunohistochemical C4d staining along glomerular capillary walls. There was no difference in renal function at biopsy or after one year comparing glomerular C4d positive vs. C4d negative pTX IgA GN. In univariate KM analysis glomerular C4d positive pTX-IgA GN showed significantly worse renal allograft survival rates (28%) compared to glomerular C4d negative pTX IgA GN (50%) or cases without GN (66%), p<0.001, respectively. In a multivariate Cox-Regression analysis including baseline covariates as well C4d+ABMR, Borderline lesion and TCMR, C4d+pTX IgA-GN remained independently associated with death censored graft-loss (HR 2.92, 95% CI 1.51-5.64, p=0.001).
Conclusion
Glomerular C4d staining in post transplant IgA glomerulonephritis is an independent risk factor for worse allograft survival and may provide a valuable risk assessment tool for prognostic and therapeutic decisions in post transplant glomerulonephritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Željko Kikić
- Medical University of Vienna, Internal medicine III, Div. of Nephrology and Dialysis, Wien, Austria
| | - Haris Omic
- Medical University of Vienna, Internal medicine III, Div. of Nephrology and Dialysis, Wien, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Medical University of Vienna, Internal medicine III, Div. of Nephrology and Dialysis, Wien, Austria
| | | | - Michael Eder
- Medical University of Vienna, Internal medicine III, Div. of Nephrology and Dialysis, Wien, Austria
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Doberer K, Böhmig GA, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Bond G. P1643TORQUE TENO VIRUS FOR RISK STRATIFICATION OF SUBCLINICAL GRAFT REJECTION AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION- A PROSPECTIVE STUDY. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa142.p1643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aims
Non-invasive monitoring strategies are insufficient to detect patients at risk for subclinical graft rejection after kidney transplantation. The highly prevalent and non-pathogenic Torque Teno virus (TTV) reflects the immunocompetence of its host: high level viraemia indicates strong and low level viraemia weak immunosuppression, respectively. Thus TTV replication might serve as a candidate for immunologic monitoring.
Method
To analyze the association between TTV and subclinical kidney graft rejection, an interim analysis of the prospective “TTV POET” cohort study (DRKS00012335) was performed including data available until 31/01/2019. All consecutive kidney graft recipients transplanted at the Medical University Vienna since 01/12/2016 (n=308) with a protocol biopsy 12 months after transplantation (n=47; median 12.4 months) and stable graft function were included. Biopsy results according to current BANFF classification were analyzed in the context of peripheral blood TTV levels quantified by PCR.
Results
Graft function was excellent (median eGFR MDRD: 57 ml/min/1.73m2, urinary PKR: 92 mg/g). Twenty recipients (43%) had subclinical rejection (borderline TCMR, n=16; ABMR, n=3; TCMR type I, n=1). TTV level quantified at the date of biopsy was lower in recipients with rejection compared to recipients without rejection. The risk for rejection increased by 11% with each log level decrease in TTV copies/ml (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.85-0.93; p<0.001). Differences in TTV levels were evident not only at the date of biopsy, but already 6 weeks earlier. Patients with biopsies showing chronic leasons, suggesting ongoing allo-reactivity, had a longer period of time with TTV levels <1x106 copies/ml.
Conclusion
Our data suggests an association between TTV level and subclinical graft rejection at 12 months after kidney transplantation. Future clinical trials are necessary to test the potential of TTV guided immunosuppression to reduce subclinical rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Medical University Vienna, Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Gregor Bond
- Medical University Vienna, Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
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Haninger N, Gaggl M, Aigner C, Renate K, Prohaszka Z, Böhmig GA, Leah Charlotte P, Raute SP, Sunder-Plassmann G, Alice S. P0231PREGNANCY AND DELIVERY OUTCOMES IN PATIENTS WITH COMPLEMENT GENE VARIANT MEDIATED THROMBOTIC MICROANGIOPATHY. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa142.p0231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aims
In pregnancy and the postpartum period, complement gene variant mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (P-cTMA) can be life threatening for the mother and the child. We describe pregnancy and delivery outcomes of pregnancies a) before cTMA manifestation, b) complicated by P-cTMA, and c) after first manifestation of cTMA in such women.
Method
This study provides an update of patients enrolled in the Vienna TMA Cohort (VTC) as of January 2020. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved from the electronic and paper-based health care records of our institution and from the Austrian Mother-Child Health Passport. Pregnancy outcomes include live births (full term, moderate to late preterm, very preterm, extremely preterm) or deaths (miscarriage, foetal death, stillbirth, neonatal death). Among delivery outcome we ascertained spontaneous vaginal delivery; Caesarean section, gestational age, birth weight and birth weight categories, birth height, head circumference, Apgar scores, admission to a neonatal intensive care unit, and the presence of malformations.
Results
We recorded 58 pregnancies (41 live births/21 women, including one set of twins; 4 abortions and 1 stillbirth in 3 women without live births; 1 ongoing pregnancy; successful pregnancies: 40/57=70%) of 25 women (mean age [years] at first pregnancy 28.2±7.4, at cTMA manifestation 33.2±16.5). Currently 6 women have a kidney transplant and 4 have died (each death not related to pregnancy). Detailed pregnancy outcomes are shown in Figure 1. Table 1 indicates delivery outcomes of 41 live births. 6/8 neonates of pregnancies complicated by cTMA were female. Caesarean sections (female: 11/19, 58%; male: 9/24, 38%; p=0.11), preterm deliveries (female: 7/19, 37%; male: 5/24, 21%; p=0.09), and low birth weight (female: 6/19, 32%; male: 3/24, 13%; p=0.02) were more frequent among 43 pooled live births and stillbirths with known sex.
Conclusion
Overall, pregnancy and delivery outcomes were poor in pregnancies complicated by cTMA as compared to pregnancies before or after cTMA manifestation. The rate of Caesarean section, preterm delivery, and low birth weight was somewhat higher among female as compared to male neonates and stillbirths. Furthermore, neonatal female gender should be explored as risk factor for cTMA manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalja Haninger
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, VIenna, Austria
| | - Martina Gaggl
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christof Aigner
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kain Renate
- Medical University of Vienna, Clinical Institute of Pathology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoltán Prohaszka
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Semmelweis University, Research Laboratory, 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, and MTA-SE Research Group of Immunology and Hematology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | - Piggott Leah Charlotte
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sunder-Plassmann Raute
- Medical University of Vienna, Genetics Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gere Sunder-Plassmann
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
| | - Schmidt Alice
- Medical University of Vienna, Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Vienna, Austria
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Doberer K, Böhmig GA, Puchhammer-Stöckl E, Bond G. P1624TORQUE TENO VIRUS FOR RISK STRATIFICATION OF GRAFT REJECTION AND INFECTION IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT RECIPIENTS - A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL TRIAL. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfaa142.p1624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aims
The non-pathogenic and ubiquitous Torque Teno virus (TTV) is associated with immunosuppression in solid organ transplant recipients. Studies in kidney transplant patients proposed TTV quantification for risk stratification of graft rejection and infection. This prospective observational trial was designed to assess the potential of TTV load for risk prediction of both, infection and rejection in the first year after transplantation. The objective of this trial was to provide TTV cut-off level to define an optimal TTV range as a basis for a randomised controlled interventional trial to test the efficacy of TTV-guided immunosuppression.
Method
Within this trial (DRKS00012335) all 386 adult (≥18 years of age) consecutive kidney graft recipients transplanted at the Medical University Vienna, Austria, between January 1st 2016 and June 31st 2018. were subjected to longitudinal per protocol TTV monitoring. In total 3265 TTV measurements were taken and 71 biopsy proven graft rejections (defined by BANFF classification) and 472 clinically relevant infections were documented in the first year post-transplant. After reaching steady state at the end of post-transplant month 3, peripheral TTV plasma load was analyzed in the context of subsequent rejection and infection by rt-PCR.
Results
Patients with allograft rejection had lower levels of TTV compared to patients without rejection (median 3.5x106 c/mL, IQR 1.7x105-1.3x108 c/ml vs. median 2.5x108 c/mL, IQR 5.8x106-9.3x108 c/mL; P = .028) in subsequent biopsies. TTV load in individuals experiencing an infectious event in the subsequent observation period was higher compared to patients without infection (median 3.9x108 c/mL, IQR 7.9x106-3.3x109 c/mL vs. median 2.6x107 c/mL, IQR 1.3x106-9.2x108 c/mL; P < .001). Of note, TTV was quantified several weeks before rejection diagnosis and infection onset. Each log increase in TTV load decreased the odds for rejection by 22% (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.97; P = .027) and increased the odds for infection by 11% (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06-1.15; P < .001). The association of TTV and infection and rejection, respectively was not altered by confounding or effect modification. A TTV load between 106 and 108 copies/mL was defined as optimal range to minimize the risk for rejection and infection.
Conclusion
These data support the initiation of an interventional trial assessing the efficacy of TTV-guided immunosuppression to reduce infection and graft rejection in kidney transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Medical University Vienna, Center for Virology, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Gregor Bond
- Medical University Vienna, Nephrology and Dialysis, Vienna, Austria
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Süsal C, Kumru G, Döhler B, Morath C, Baas M, Lutz J, Unterrainer C, Arns W, Aubert O, Bara C, Beiras-Fernandez A, Böhmig GA, Bösmüller C, Diekmann F, Dutkowski P, Hauser I, Legendre C, Lozanovski VJ, Mehrabi A, Melk A, Minor T, Mueller TF, Pisarski P, Rostaing L, Schemmer P, Schneeberger S, Schwenger V, Sommerer C, Tönshoff B, Viebahn R, Viklicky O, Weimer R, Weiss KH, Zeier M, Živčić-Ćosić S, Heemann U. Should kidney allografts from old donors be allocated only to old recipients? Transpl Int 2020; 33:849-857. [PMID: 32337766 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In several deceased donor kidney allocation systems, organs from elderly donors are allocated primarily to elderly recipients. The Eurotransplant Senior Program (ESP) was implemented in 1999, and since then, especially in Europe, the use of organs from elderly donors has steadily increased. The proportion of ≥60-year-old donors reported to the Collaborative Transplant Study (CTS) by European centers has doubled, from 21% in 2000-2001 to 42% in 2016-2017. Therefore, in the era of organ shortage it is a matter of debate whether kidney organs from elderly donors should only be allocated to elderly recipients or whether <65-year-old recipients can also benefit from these generally as "marginal" categorized organs. To discuss this issue, a European Consensus Meeting was organized by the CTS on April 12, 2018, in Heidelberg, in which 36 experts participated. Based on available evidence, it was unanimously concluded that kidney organs from 65- to 74-year-old donors can also be allocated to 55- to 64-year-old recipients, especially if these organs are from donors with no history of hypertension, no increased creatinine, no cerebrovascular death, and no other reasons for defining a marginal donor, such as diabetes or cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caner Süsal
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gizem Kumru
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Döhler
- Institute of Immunology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Morath
- Division of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marije Baas
- Department of Nephrology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jens Lutz
- Division of Nephrology and Infectious Diseases, Medical Clinic, Gemeinschaftsklinikum Mittelrhein, Koblenz, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Arns
- Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Cologne Merheim Medical Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Olivier Aubert
- Service de Transplantation Rénale et Unité de Soins Intensifs, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Christoph Bara
- Division of Thoracic Transplantation and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andres Beiras-Fernandez
- Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital of Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Bösmüller
- Department of Visceral, Transplant and Thoracic Surgery, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Fritz Diekmann
- Department of Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, ICNU, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philipp Dutkowski
- Department of Surgery and Transplantation, Swiss HPB and Transplantation Center, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ingeborg Hauser
- Department of Nephrology, Medinizische Klinik III, UKF, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christophe Legendre
- Service de Transplantation Rénale et Unité de Soins Intensifs, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France
| | - Vladimir J Lozanovski
- Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anette Melk
- Department of Pediatric Kidney, Liver and Metabolic Diseases, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Minor
- Department of Surgical Research, Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany
| | - Thomas F Mueller
- Division of Nephrology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Przemyslaw Pisarski
- Department for General and Visceral Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lionel Rostaing
- Service de Néphrologie, Dialyse, Aphérèses et Transplantation, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Peter Schemmer
- Department of Surgery, General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Stefan Schneeberger
- Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vedat Schwenger
- Department of Nephrology and Autoimmune Diseases, Transplantation Center, Klinikum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Claudia Sommerer
- Division of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Burkhard Tönshoff
- Department of Pediatrics I, University Children's Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Richard Viebahn
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Ondrej Viklicky
- Department of Nephrology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rolf Weimer
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Karl-Heinz Weiss
- Department of Internal Medicine IV, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Zeier
- Division of Nephrology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stela Živčić-Ćosić
- Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Kidney Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Uwe Heemann
- Department of Nephrology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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50
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Kaltenecker CC, Domenig O, Kopecky C, Antlanger M, Poglitsch M, Berlakovich G, Kain R, Stegbauer J, Rahman M, Hellinger R, Gruber C, Grobe N, Fajkovic H, Eskandary F, Böhmig GA, Säemann MD, Kovarik JJ. Critical Role of Neprilysin in Kidney Angiotensin Metabolism. Circ Res 2020; 127:593-606. [PMID: 32418507 DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.119.316151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Kidney homeostasis is critically determined by the coordinated activity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including the balanced synthesis of its main effector peptides Ang (angiotensin) II and Ang (1-7). The condition of enzymatic overproduction of Ang II relative to Ang (1-7) is termed RAS dysregulation and leads to cellular signals, which promote hypertension and organ damage, and ultimately progressive kidney failure. ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) and NEP (neprilysin) induce the alternative, and potentially reno-protective axis by enhancing Ang (1-7) production. However, their individual contribution to baseline RAS balance and whether their activities change in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not yet been elucidated. OBJECTIVE To examine whether NEP-mediated Ang (1-7) generation exceeds Ang II formation in the healthy kidney compared with diseased kidney. METHODS AND RESULTS In this exploratory study, we used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure Ang II and Ang (1-7) synthesis rates of ACE, chymase and NEP, ACE2, PEP (prolyl-endopeptidase), PCP (prolyl-carboxypeptidase) in kidney biopsy homogenates in 11 healthy living kidney donors, and 12 patients with CKD. The spatial expression of RAS enzymes was determined by immunohistochemistry. Healthy kidneys showed higher NEP-mediated Ang (1-7) synthesis than Ang II formation, thus displaying a strong preference towards the reno-protective alternative RAS axis. In contrast, in CKD kidneys higher levels of Ang II were recorded, which originated from mast cell chymase activity. CONCLUSIONS Ang (1-7) is the dominant RAS peptide in healthy human kidneys with NEP rather than ACE2 being essential for its generation. Severe RAS dysregulation is present in CKD dictated by high chymase-mediated Ang II formation. Kidney RAS enzyme analysis might lead to novel therapeutic approaches for CKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C Kaltenecker
- From the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III (C.C.K., F.E., G.A.B., J.J.K.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Domenig
- Attoquant Diagnostics GmbH, Vienna, Austria (O.D., M.P.)
| | - Chantal Kopecky
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (C.K.)
| | - Marlies Antlanger
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Kepler University Hospital, Med Campus III, Linz, Austria (M.A.)
| | | | - Gabriela Berlakovich
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery (G.B.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Renate Kain
- Department of Pathology (R.K.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Stegbauer
- Department of Nephrology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (J.S., M.R.)
| | - Masudur Rahman
- Department of Nephrology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany (J.S., M.R.)
| | - Roland Hellinger
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (R.H., C.G.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Gruber
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology (R.H., C.G.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Nadja Grobe
- Renal Research Institute, New York, NY (N.G.)
| | - Harun Fajkovic
- Department of Urology (H.F.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Farsad Eskandary
- From the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III (C.C.K., F.E., G.A.B., J.J.K.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg A Böhmig
- From the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III (C.C.K., F.E., G.A.B., J.J.K.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus D Säemann
- 6th Medical Department with Nephrology and Dialysis, Wilhelminenhospital, Vienna, Austria (M.D.S.).,Sigmund-Freud University, Vienna, Austria (M.D.S.)
| | - Johannes J Kovarik
- From the Division of Nephrology and Dialysis, Department of Internal Medicine III (C.C.K., F.E., G.A.B., J.J.K.), Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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