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Ningoo M, Cruz-Encarnación P, Khilnani C, Heeger PS, Fribourg M. T-cell receptor sequencing reveals selected donor-reactive CD8 + T cell clones resist antithymocyte globulin depletion after kidney transplantation. Am J Transplant 2024; 24:755-764. [PMID: 38141722 PMCID: PMC11070313 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajt.2023.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
High frequencies of donor-reactive memory T cells in the periphery of transplant candidates prior to transplantation are linked to the development of posttransplant acute rejection episodes and reduced allograft function. Rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) effectively depletes naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells for >6 months posttransplant, but rATG's effects on human donor-reactive T cells have not been carefully determined. To address this, we performed T cell receptor β-chain sequencing on peripheral blood mononuclear cells aliquots collected pretransplant and serially posttransplant in 7 kidney transplant recipients who received rATG as induction therapy. We tracked the evolution of the donor-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cell repertoires and identified stimulated pretransplant, CTV-(surface dye)-labeled, peripheral blood mononuclear cells from each patient with donor cells or third-party cells. Our analyses showed that while rATG depleted CD4+ T cells in all tested subjects, a subset of donor-reactive CD8+ T cells that were present at high frequencies pretransplant, consistent with expanded memory cells, resisted rATG depletion, underwent posttransplant expansion and were functional. Together, our data support the conclusion that a subset of human memory CD8+ T cells specifically reactive to donor antigens expand in vivo despite induction therapy with rATG and thus have the potential to mediate allograft damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehek Ningoo
- Translational Transplant Research Center, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Immunology Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pamela Cruz-Encarnación
- Translational Transplant Research Center, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Immunology Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Calla Khilnani
- Translational Transplant Research Center, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Immunology Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Peter S Heeger
- Comprehensive Transplant Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Miguel Fribourg
- Translational Transplant Research Center, Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA; Immunology Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA.
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Ahuja HK, Azim S, Maluf D, Mas VR. Immune landscape of the kidney allograft in response to rejection. Clin Sci (Lond) 2023; 137:1823-1838. [PMID: 38126208 DOI: 10.1042/cs20230493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Preventing kidney graft dysfunction and rejection is a critical step in addressing the nationwide organ shortage and improving patient outcomes. While kidney transplants (KT) are performed more frequently, the overall number of patients on the waitlist consistently exceeds organ availability. Despite improved short-term outcomes in KT, comparable progress in long-term allograft survival has not been achieved. Major cause of graft loss at 5 years post-KT is chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) characterized by interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (IFTA). Accordingly, proactive prevention of CAD requires a comprehensive understanding of the immune mechanisms associated with either further dysfunction or impaired repair. Allograft rejection is primed by innate immune cells and carried out by adaptive immune cells. The rejection process is primarily facilitated by antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) and T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR). It is essential to better elucidate the actions of individual immune cell subclasses (e.g. B memory, Tregs, Macrophage type 1 and 2) throughout the rejection process, rather than limiting our understanding to broad classes of immune cells. Embracing multi-omic approaches may be the solution in acknowledging these intricacies and decoding these enigmatic pathways. A transition alongside advancing technology will better allow organ biology to find its place in this era of precision and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsimar Kaur Ahuja
- Surgical Sciences Division, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A
| | - Shafquat Azim
- Surgical Sciences Division, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A
| | - Daniel Maluf
- Program of Transplantation, School of Medicine, 29S Greene St, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A
| | - Valeria R Mas
- Surgical Sciences Division, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, U.S.A
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Mendoza Rojas A, Verhoeven JG, de Kuiper R, Clahsen-van Groningen MC, Boer K, Hesselink DA, van Gelder T, van Besouw NM, Baan CC. Alloreactive T cells to Assess Acute Rejection Risk in Kidney Transplant Recipients. Transplant Direct 2023; 9:e1478. [PMID: 37096150 PMCID: PMC10121441 DOI: 10.1097/txd.0000000000001478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Memory T cells are important mediators of transplant rejection but are not routinely measured before or after kidney transplantation. The aims of this study were as follows: (1) validate whether pretransplant donor-reactive memory T cells are reliable predictors of acute rejection (AR) (2) determine whether donor-reactive memory T cells can distinguish AR from other causes of transplant dysfunction. Methods Samples from 103 consecutive kidney transplant recipients (2018-2019) were obtained pretransplantation and at time of for-cause biopsy sampling within 6 mo of transplantation. The number of donor-reactive interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-21-producing memory T cells was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay. Results Of the 63 patients who underwent a biopsy, 25 had a biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR; 22 aTCMR and 3 aAMR), 19 had a presumed rejection, and 19 had no rejection. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the pretransplant IFN-γ ELISPOT assay distinguished between patients who later developed BPAR and patients who remained rejection-free (area under the curve [AUC] 0.73; sensitivity 96% and specificity 41%). Both the IFN-γ and IL-21 assays were able to discriminate BPAR from other causes of transplant dysfunction (AUC 0.81; sensitivity 87% and specificity 76% and AUC 0.81; sensitivity 93% and specificity 68%, respectively). Conclusions This study validates that a high number of donor-reactive memory T cells before transplantation is associated with the development of AR after transplantation. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the IFN-γ and IL-21 ELISPOT assays are able to discriminate between patients with AR and patients without AR at the time of biopsy sampling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleixandra Mendoza Rojas
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen G.H.P. Verhoeven
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ronella de Kuiper
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marian C. Clahsen-van Groningen
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Karin Boer
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis A. Hesselink
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Teun van Gelder
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nicole M. van Besouw
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carla C. Baan
- Department of Internal Medicine—Nephrology and Transplantation, Erasmus MC Transplantation Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Donor-specific ELISPOT assay for predicting acute rejection and allograft function after kidney transplantation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Biochem 2021; 94:1-11. [PMID: 33882287 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2021.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Acute rejection remains an important problem after kidney transplantation. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay has been investigated extensively and has shown promising results as a predictor of allograft rejection. The objective of this study was to systematically review and analyze the predictive value of the donor-specific ELISPOT assay to identify recipients at risk for acute rejection. Electronic databases were searched for studies reporting donor-specific ELISPOT and kidney transplantation outcomes. Odds ratio (OR) for acute rejection was calculated, along with standardized mean difference (SMD) of cytokine producing-cells between recipients with and without acute rejection. Pooled estimates were calculated using random-effect models. The positive ELISPOT cutoff frequencies were extracted from each study. From 665 articles found, 32 studies were included in the meta-analysis. IFN-γ was the most investigated cytokine (30 out of 32 studies). Patients with positive pre-transplantation donor-reactive IFN-γ ELISPOT had an OR of 3.3 for acute rejection (95%-CI 2.1 to 5.1), and OR of 6.8 (95%-CI 2.5 to 18.9) for post-transplantation ELISPOT. Recipients with rejection had significantly higher frequencies of pre- and post-transplantation cytokine producing-cells (SMD 0.47, 95%-CI 0.07 to 0.87 and SMD 3.68, 95%-CI 1.04 to 6.32, respectively). Pre-transplantation ELISPOT had a positive predictive value of 43% and a negative predictive value of 81% for acute rejection. A positive ELISPOT result was associated with a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (SMD -0.59, 95%-CI -0.83 to -0.34). In conclusion, patients with a high frequency of donor-reactive IFN-γ ELISPOT are at higher risk for acute rejection. The donor-specific IFN-γ ELISPOT assay can serve as an immune-monitoring tool in kidney transplantation.
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Dudreuilh C, Dorling A. Effect of rituximab on anti-donor T-cell responses. Transpl Int 2020; 33:1322-1323. [PMID: 32519346 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Dudreuilh
- Department of Inflammation Biology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
| | - Anthony Dorling
- Department of Inflammation Biology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK
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