Effect of steroid pulse therapy on post-transplant immunoglobulin A nephropathy

Interventions for decreasing the risk of recurrent IgA nephropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Recurrent IgA nephropathy (rIgAN) is an important cause of kidney allograft loss. Till now, no proven strategies have been confirmed to prevent/decrease the rIgAN. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on the available interventions impacting rIgAN. PubMed, Embase, Web of sciences, ProQuest, and Cochrane library databases along with Google Scholar were searched for articles evaluating the rIgAN after kidney transplantation (up to 23 February 2023). The main inclusion criteria were kidney transplantation because of primary IgAN and articles studying the rate of the rIgAN based on different therapeutic interventions to find their effects on the disease recurrence. Based on our criteria, 11 papers were included in this systematic review, two of which pleased the criteria for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that the risk of the rIgAN in the steroid-free group was 3.33 times more than that of the steroid-receiving group (Pooled Hazard Ratio = 3.33, 95% CI 0.60 to18.33, Z-value = 1.38, p-value = 0.16). Steroid-free therapy increases the risk of rIgAN in kidney transplant recipients with primary IgAN. High-quality trials with large sample sizes studies are needed to confirm the impact of the steroids on decreasing the rate of the rIgAN.

Pure T-cell mediated rejection following kidney transplant according to response to treatment

The focus of studies on kidney transplantation (KT) has largely shifted from T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR) to antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). However, there are still cases of pure acute TCMR in histological reports, even after a long time following transplant. We thus evaluated the impact of pure TCMR on graft survival (GS) according to treatment response. We also performed molecular diagnosis using a molecular microscope diagnostic system on a separate group of 23 patients. A total of 63 patients were divided into non-responders (N = 22) and responders (N = 44). Non-response to rejection treatment was significantly associated with the following factors: glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at biopsy, ΔGFR, TCMR within one year, t score, and IF/TA score. We also found that non-responder vs. responder (OR = 3.31; P = 0.036) and lower GFR at biopsy (OR = 0.56; P = 0.026) were independent risk factors of graft failure. The responders had a significantly superior overall GS rate compared with the non-responders (P = 0.004). Molecular assessment showed a good correlation with histologic diagnosis in ABMR, but not in TCMR. Solitary TCMR was a significant risk factor of graft failure in patients who did not respond to rejection treatment.

Recurrence of immunoglobulin A nephropathy after kidney transplantation: a narrative review of the incidence, risk factors, pathophysiology and management of immunosuppressive therapy

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is the underlying cause of end-stage renal failure in 30–50% of kidney transplant recipients. It represents the primary cause of end-stage renal disease for 25% of the dialysis population and 45% of the transplant population. For patients with GN requiring renal replacement therapy, kidney transplantation is associated with superior outcomes compared with dialysis. Recurrent GN was previously considered to be a minor contributor to graft loss, but with the prolongation of graft survival, the effect of recurrent disease on graft outcome assumes increasing importance. Thus the extent of recurrence of original kidney disease after kidney transplantation has been underestimated for several reasons. This review aims to provide updated knowledge on one particular recurrent renal disease after kidney transplantation, immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). IgAN is one of the most common GNs worldwide. The pathogenesis of IgAN is complex and remains incompletely understood. Evidence to date is most supportive of a several hit hypothesis. Biopsy is mandatory not only to diagnose the disease in the native kidney, but also to identify and characterize graft recurrence of IgAN in the kidney graft. The optimal therapy for IgAN recurrence in the renal graft is unknown. Supportive therapy aiming to reduce proteinuria and control hypertension is the mainstream, with corticosteroids and immunosuppressive treatment tailored for certain subgroups of patients experiencing a rapidly progressive course of the disease with active lesions on renal biopsy and considering safety issues related to infectious complications.