Detection of chronic allograft nephropathy by quantitative Doppler imaging

Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is the major cause of graft loss, and early detection is desirable to avoid irreversible graft damage. We have evaluated a new technique of color Doppler quantification using Cineloop (Philips Medical Systems, Bothell, WA) imaging for noninvasive diagnosis of CAN. Provisional normal ranges were defined by pilot study (n=13) and prospectively tested in stable recipients in whom CAN was independently quantified by contemporaneous histology (n=67), using the Banff schema. The maximal fractional area (MFA, systolic color pixels/total area) was 28.7+/-9.7% in normal subjects and reduced to 18.8+/-8.0% in grade 1 and 12.5+/-6.4% in grade 2 CAN (both P