Long-Term Kidney Allograft Survival in Patients With Transplant Glomerulitis

BACKGROUNDRenal transplant glomerulitis (G) is associated with acute antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) in the presence of donor-specific antibodies. However, the long-term prognosis of isolated G (isG) in the absence of donor-specific antibodies or G in combination with T cell–mediated rejection (TCMR) remains unexplored. METHODSSeventy recipients with G were included in this retrospective study and subdivided into 3 groupsisG, G with TCMR (G + TCMR), and G with acute ABMR. The control groups werepatients with TCMR Banff type I or II without G (TCMR) and patients without rejection (NR). Kaplan-Meier death-censored survival plots and Cox regression were used to analyze graft survival. The combined graft survival endpoint was defined as a return to dialysis or estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 15 mL/min/1.73 m. The median follow-up was 37 (14; 77) months from biopsy. RESULTSGraft survival was significantly lower in patients with G than in the NR and TCMR groups. No significant differences were observed among the isG, G + TCMR, and ABMR groups. Graft survival was lower in the G + TCMR group than in the TCMR group. Glomerulitis was independently associated with the risk of adverse graft outcome in a multivariate Cox regression model adjusted for other confounders (hazard ratio, 4.52 [95% confidence interval, 2.37-8.68] vs controls; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONSGlomerulitis is strongly associated with increased risk of graft failure. Graft survival in patients with isG that do not meet the Banff criteria for acute/active ABMR and in patients with G accompanying TCMR is comparable to the ABMR group.