Effects of C4d deposition in peritubular capillary of patients with acute renal allograft rejection one year post-transplant on the prognosis of renal allograft

Abstract

Objective To analyze C4d deposition in the patients with late acute renal allograft rejection,and explore the role of C4d in grafts survival and grafts loss. Methods Thirty-six patients clinical and pathologically diagnosed as having acute rejection more than one year post-transplant were selected. C4d was detected by immunohistochemistry in renal allograft biopsies. The effect of C4d deposition on long-term graft survival was studied. Results Among 36 recipients with late acute renal allograft rejection, 16 cases were positive for C4d (44.4 %) and 20 negative for C4d (55.6 %). Five cases experienced graft loss in C4d positive group (31.3 %), while 6 cases in C4d negative group (30.0%). There was no significant difference in the graft loss rate between C4d-positive group and C4d-negative group. Log-Rank test demonstrated there was no significant difference in graft survival between C4d-positive group and C4d-negative group. The count of the interstitial infiltrated eosinophils in renal allograft was (9.4 + 4.5) and (2.6 + 1.8) respectively in the C4d-positive group and C4dnegative group (P＜0.05). Conclusion C4d deposition in peritubular capillary of the recipients with late acute renal allograft rejection might not be a prognostic marker for graft outcome. Key words: Kidney transplantation; Graft rejection; Complement C4