Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Research Articles

Clinical Course of Nonresponders With Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis After Pediatric Kidney Transplantation: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) frequently recurs after kidney transplantation and is associated with poor graft survival. Patients who do not achieve remission (nonresponders) have an especially poor graft survival. However, the characteristics that may affect graft survival in nonresponders are unknown. This study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics associated with graft survival in nonresponders. We retrospectively collected the clinical records of patients with FSGS and an age at onset <16 years who experienced posttransplant recurrence of FSGS at six hospitals in Japan from 1993 to 2018. Eight nonresponders with recurrent FSGS were enrolled in this study. The median time to recurrence after kidney transplantation was 1 day (interquartile range, 1-2 days). All patients received therapeutic plasma exchange and methylprednisolone pulse therapy. Rituximab was used as an add-on therapy in three patients. Five patients lost their graft within 2 years after kidney transplantation (rapid group). In contrast, three patients had much longer graft survival (nonrapid group). We compared the clinical characteristics of the rapid and nonrapid groups. Proteinuria tended to be lower in the nonrapid group at the third and subsequent months of therapy. The rapid group had persistent nephrotic syndrome. The rate of reduction in proteinuria was lower in the rapid group than in the nonrapid group. Our study suggests that persistent nephrotic syndrome and a low rate of reduction in proteinuria may predict rapid progression to graft failure in nonresponders.

Risk assessment for hypocalcemia in therapeutic apheresis for kidney transplantation.

The increase in the number of kidney transplants performed in the United States has been paralleled with an increase in the utilization of therapeutic apheresis (TA) for kidney transplant indications. Hypocalcemia remains a significant contributor to the adverse event in TA. The magnitude of hypocalcemia and its risk factors are scarcely discussed in literature. This is a retrospective cohort review of adults from 18 years and above who received TA for kidney transplant-related indications from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2022. Data extracted included basic demographics, indication for apheresis, procedure characteristics, serum ionized calcium at the mid and end of procedure and serum creatinine at the beginning of apheresis, and so forth. Data from 131 patients and 860 sessions of TA were analyzed. Antibody-mediated rejection (69%) and recurrent FSGS (15%) were the leading indications for TA. There were 60 (7%) TA sessions complicated by hypocalcemia. Of these, 53 (88%) occurred in the first session, 5 (8%) occurred in second session while 2 (4%) occurred in the third and subsequent sessions. Female sex, elevated serum creatinine and use of fresh frozen plasma- are the risk factors for hypocalcemia with odd's ratio of 2.34, 7.42, and 5.01, respectively. Binary logistic regression showed that elevated serum creatinine at the commencement of therapy is an independent predictor of hypocalcemia (adjusted odd's ratio = 3.31, p = 0.001). Hypocalcemia is prevalent in this study. Clinical vigilance and tailored procedure will avert adverse consequences.

Therapeutic apheresis in kidney transplantation: Emerging trends.

The use of therapeutic apheresis (TA) either as stand-alone or adjunctive treatment in kidney transplantation has increased over the years to become a leading indication. This study shows recent trends in indications for TA related to kidney transplantation, adverse events, and patient outcome in this cohort. This is a retrospective cohort review of adults who received TA for kidney transplant-related indications from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022, at the University of Virginia Medical Centre, Charlottesville, VA, USA. Data extracted include basic demographics, indication for apheresis, number of procedures, procedure characteristics, procedure-related adverse events (complications), and serum ionized calcium and serum creatinine. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 2022 IBM Inc). Data from a total of 131 patients who received 860 TA procedures were analyzed. Indications for TA were antibody-mediated rejection (65.5%), recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (15%), thrombotic microangiopathy (5%), desensitization for ABO incompatibility (4.5%) and for HLA-incompatibility (4.5%), and recurrent IgA nephropathy (1%). Some adverse events were encountered in 16.7% of the procedures and include hypocalcemia (7%), vascular access malfunction (0.7%), hypotension (1.2%), arrhythmia (0.6%), and depletion coagulopathy (0.6%). The overall case mortality rate was 8.4% over the 6-year period. There was one death recorded on machine during TA resulting in a procedure-mortality rate of 0.12%. Antibody-mediated rejection was the most common indication for TA related to kidney transplantation. Adverse events were minor and patient survival over the time was within usual limits.

Prophylactic treatment of FSGS recurrence in patients who relapsed in a previous kidney graft.

Recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is common after kidney transplantation and is classically associated with a significant decrease in graft survival. A major risk factor is a prior history of FSGS recurrence on a previous graft. This analysis reports the impact of a prophylactic treatment of FSGS recurrence in very high-risk patients who experienced a recurrence on a previous graft. We performed a retrospective multicentre observational study in 25 French transplantation centres. The inclusion criteria were patients aged more than 18 years who had undergone kidney transplant between December 31, 2004, and December 31, 2020, and who had a history of FSGS recurrence on a previous graft. We identified 66 patients: 40 received prophylactic treatment (PT+), including intravenous cyclosporine and/or rituximab and/or plasmapheresis, and 26 did not receive any prophylactic treatment (PT-). The time to progression to end-stage kidney disease was similar between groups. The PT+group was younger at FSGS diagnosis and at the time of kidney retransplantation and lost their previous graft faster. The overall recurrence rate was 72.7% (76.9% in the PT- group and 70.0% in the PT+group, P=0.54). At least partial remission was achieved in 87.5% of patients. The 5-year graft survival was 67.7% (95% CI: 53.4 to 78.4%): 65.1% (95%CI: 48.7 to 77.4%) in patients with FSGS recurrence vs. 77.3% (95% CI: 43.8 to 92.3%) in patients without recurrence (P=0.48). Our study suggests that prophylactic treatment should not be used routinely in patients receiving a second transplantation after recurrence of FSGS on a previous graft. The recurrence rate is high regardless of the use of prophylactic treatment. However, the 5-year graft survival remains satisfactory.

#2553 Circulating anti-slit diaphragm NEPHRIN and KIRREL-2 antibodies associate with nephrotic syndrome

Abstract Background and Aims Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome (INS) is still largely unknown. Recently, circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies have been proposed as responsible of disarrangement of the slit diaphragm architecture upon glomerular deposition. However, previous experience referred to limited cases and controls with different ELISA assays for antibodies detection. We compared the performance of three different ELISA assays quantifying circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies and we developed ELISA assays to quantify circulating antibodies against two proteins homologous of NEPHRIN, the KIRREL.1 and KIRREL-2. Method We compared the performance of three different ELISA assays, two against the extracellular (aa 1-1055NEPHRIN-A and aa 23-1029 NEPHRIN-B) and one against the intracytoplasmic (aa 1160-1241 NEPHRIN-C) domain of NEPHRIN. We tested a large cohort of 166 patients (396 serum samples) with INS, 32 focal segmental glomerulosclerosis kidney transplant recipients, 143 healthy controls and 40 lupus nephritis and membranous nephropathy, respectively. Furthermore, to investigate sensitivity and specificity of circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies, we developed ELISA assays to quantify circulating antibodies against two proteins homologous of NEPHRIN, the KIRREL-1 and KIRREL-2. We tested NEPHRIN and KIRREL-2 gene expression among glomeruli in kidney biopsies from 4 FSGS patient and 4 controls. Results Serum levels of anti-NEPHRIN antibodies against the two extracellular domains were highly correlated, but differed significantly to the levels detected using the intracytoplasmic domain of NEPHRIN. Neither the circulating anti-NEPHRIN targeting the extracellular nor the intracellular domains of the protein could differentiate INS patients overall from healthy controls (Fig. 1A). However, after age stratification, we found that circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies against the extracellular domain were significatively higher in INS than in healthy controls &amp;gt;6 years old (Fig. 1B).Circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies against extracellular domain appeared more specific for INS than anti-NEPHRIN antibodies against cytoplasmic domain. Circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies did not correlate with disease activity nor FSGS recurrence after kidney transplant (Fig. 1C). Of note, circulating anti-KIRREL-2 antibodies could differentiate INS and healthy controls more effectively than anti-NEPHRIN antibodies (Fig. 1D). We than confirmed that KIRREL-2 is transcript in glomeruli (Fig. 1E) and, in line with circulating anti-KIRREL-2 antibodies, spatial transcriptomic analyses showed that KIRREL-2 is increased in FSGS than in controls. Conclusion In a large cohort of patients, we showed that circulating anti-NEPHRIN antibodies are positive in a subset of INS and FSGS recurrence. However, they are not associated with disease activity and the circulating levels appeared as age related. Circulating anti-KIRREL-2 antibodies are more strongly associated with INS. Therefore, based on our findings, several podocyte antigens may be supposed target for specific autoantibodies in INS.

#1315 Management and long-term outcome of recurrent idiopathic FSGS in pediatric renal transplant recipients

Abstract Background and Aims Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a leading cause of pediatric end-stage renal disease (ESRD). While approximately 30% of pediatric FSGS is attributed to monogenic disorders, most cases are idiopathic, carrying a high risk of post-transplantation recurrence and graft loss. Commonly used protocols for recurrent FSGS (rFSGS) include plasmapheresis or immunoadsorption, and/or immunomodulatory therapy. We retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and safety of early plasmapheresis followed by rituximab therapy for induction of remission in rFSGS. Method Between 2014-2023, 8/65 pediatric renal transplant recipients at our center were diagnosed with idiopathic FSGS. Five patients underwent preventive plasmapheresis initiated between day 7 pre-transplantation to day 1 post-transplantation, depending on donor source (living/deceased). rFSGS, was diagnosed based on nephrotic range proteinuria of no other cause, and managed with daily plasmapheresis, followed by frequency tapering. Failure to achieve complete remission while on prolonged plasmapheresis was managed with Rituximab therapy. Results 6/8 patients (75%) experienced rFSGS. All achieved partial or complete remission with plasmapheresis therapy. Nevertheless, 5/6 patients exhibited plasmapheresis-dependence, thereby necessitating rituximab therapy. Of these, 3/5 patients achieved sustained remission enabling plasmapheresis cessation, while in 2/5 showed markedly improved proteinuria, enabling reduction of plasmapheresis frequency to once weekly. Adverse effects included rituximab-induced serum sickness in one patient, requiring therapy discontinuation. While one patient suffered from graft loss due to humoral rejection, no graft was lost to rFSGS, and all other grafts remained functional over an average follow-up period of 50 months. Conclusion We suggest that early introduction of plasmapheresis and rituximab therapy effectively induces remission in most post-transplantation rFSGS, is well tolerated, and prevents graft loss. Additional, large scale studies are needed to establish our observation.

Anuria after kidney transplantation diagnosed as early recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis combined with acute calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity: a case report and literature review

BackgroundPrimary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a glomerular disease that sometimes recurs in patients after kidney transplantation (KT) and increases the risk of graft loss. Proteinuria is a common early sign of recurrent FSGS, but an abrupt decrease in urine volume is rare. Herein, we report a patient with early recurrence of FSGS with anuria following KT.Case presentationA 55-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease caused by primary FSGS experienced anuria on postoperative day 2 following deceased donor KT. Laboratory results revealed that serum tacrolimus trough levels were consistently elevated at the time of anuria. At first, we considered acute calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) nephrotoxicity based on graft biopsy on light microscopy, laboratory findings, and clinical courses. However, the allograft function did not recover even after discontinuation of CNI, and recurrent FSGS was diagnosed 2 weeks later on electron microscopy. A total of 13 sessions of plasmapheresis and two administrations of rituximab (375 mg/m2) were required to treat recurrent FSGS. The patient achieved a partial response, and the spot urine protein-to-creatinine ratio decreased from 15.5 g/g creatinine to 5.2 g/g creatinine. At 5 months following KT, the serum creatinine level was stable at 1.15 mg/dL.ConclusionsThese findings highlight that anuria can occur in cases of early recurrence of FSGS combined with acute CNI nephrotoxicity.

Efficacy and Safety of Bleselumab in Preventing the Recurrence of Primary Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Phase 2a, Randomized, Multicenter Study.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common cause of end-stage kidney disease and frequently recurs after kidney transplantation. Recurrent FSGS (rFSGS) is associated with poor allograft and patient outcomes. Bleselumab, a fully human immunoglobulin G4 anti-CD40 antagonistic monoclonal antibody, disrupts CD40-related processes in FSGS, potentially preventing rFSGS. A phase 2a, randomized, multicenter, open-label study of adult recipients (aged ≥18 y) of a living or deceased donor kidney transplant with a history of biopsy-proven primary FSGS. The study assessed the efficacy of bleselumab combined with tacrolimus and corticosteroids as maintenance immunosuppression in the prevention of rFSGS >12 mo posttransplantation, versus standard of care (SOC) comprising tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and corticosteroids. All patients received basiliximab induction. The primary endpoint was rFSGS, defined as proteinuria (protein-creatinine ratio ≥3.0 g/g) with death, graft loss, or loss to follow-up imputed as rFSGS, through 3 mo posttransplant. Sixty-three patients were followed for 12 mo posttransplantation. Relative decrease in rFSGS occurrence through 3 mo with bleselumab versus SOC was 40.7% (95% confidence interval, -89.8 to 26.8; P = 0.37; absolute decrease 12.7% [95% confidence interval, -34.5 to 9.0]). Central-blinded biopsy review found relative (absolute) decreases in rFSGS of 10.9% (3.9%), 17.0% (6.2%), and 20.5% (7.5%) at 3, 6, and 12 mo posttransplant, respectively; these differences were not statistically significant. Adverse events were similar for both treatments. No deaths occurred during the study. In at-risk kidney transplant recipients, bleselumab numerically reduced proteinuria occurrence versus SOC, but no notable difference in occurrence of biopsy-proven rFSGS was observed.

Transplantation: platform to study recurrence of disease.

Beyond the direct benefit that a transplanted organ provides to an individual recipient, the study of the transplant process has the potential to create a better understanding of the pathogenesis, etiology, progression and possible therapy for recurrence of disease after transplantation while at the same time providing insight into the original disease. Specific examples of this include: 1) recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) after kidney transplantation, 2) recurrent autoimmunity after pancreas transplantation, and 3) recurrence of disease after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for cirrhosis related to progressive steatosis secondary to jejuno-ileal bypass (JIB) surgery. Our team has been studying these phenomena and their immunologic underpinnings, and we suggest that expanding the concept to other pathologic processes and/or transplanted organs that harbor the risk for recurrent disease may provide novel insight into the pathogenesis of a host of other disease processes that lead to organ failure.

Anti-nephrin antibodies in recurrence of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: closer to discovering the Holy Grail?

Recurrent forms of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) pose an unmet challenge to nephrologists, both in terms of understanding the underlying pathophysiology and in terms of identifying an effective management strategy of this disease, which frequently leads to kidney graft loss. In the past few decades, experimental observations both in patients and in animal models have led to the hypothesis of the existence of circulating factors driving the loss of integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier in FSGS. Although different circulating factor candidates have been postulated, none has been unequivocally shown to be pathogenic. In the current study, Shirai etal. propose a new candidate for this role by identifying circulating anti-nephrin autoantibodies in a cohort of patients with post-transplant recurrence of primary FSGS. Recent evidence by Watts etal. has also identified anti-nephrin autoantibodies in the circulation and in the kidney biopsies of patients with minimal change disease. If confirmed, the identification of these autoantibodies would both contribute to identifying the elusive circulating factor in FSGS and increase our understanding of the spectrum of proteinuric glomerular lesions, spanning from minimal change disease to FSGS. The quest for the Holy Grail is perhaps closer to completion.

A multi-institutional study found a possible role of anti-nephrin antibodies in post-transplant focal segmental glomerulosclerosis recurrence

Possible roles of anti-nephrin antibodies in post-transplant recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) have been reported recently. To confirm these preliminary results, we performed a multi-institutional study of 22 Japanese pediatric kidney transplant recipients with FSGS including eight genetic FSGS and 14 non-genetic (presumed primary) FSGS. Eleven of the 14 non-genetic FSGS patients had post-transplant recurrent FSGS. Median (interquartile range) plasma levels of anti-nephrin antibodies in post-transplant recurrent FSGS measured using ELISA were markedly high at 899 (831, 1292) U/mL (cut-off 231 U/mL) before transplantation or during recurrence. Graft biopsies during recurrence showed punctate IgG deposition co-localized with nephrin that had altered localization with increased nephrin tyrosine phosphorylation and Src homology and collagen homology A expressions. Graft biopsies after remission showed no signals for IgG and a normal expression pattern of nephrin. Anti-nephrin antibody levels decreased to 155 (53, 367) U/mL in five patients with samples available after remission. In patients with genetic FSGS as in those with non-genetic FSGS without recurrence, anti-nephrin antibody levels were comparable to those of 30 control individuals, and graft biopsies had no signals for IgG and a normal expression pattern of nephrin. Thus, our results suggest that circulating anti-nephrin antibodies are a possible candidate for circulating factors involved in the pathogenesis of post-transplant recurrent FSGS, and that this may be mediated by nephrin phosphorylation. Larger studies including other ethnicities are required to confirm this finding.

Clinicopathological differences in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis depending on the accompanying pathophysiological conditions in renal allografts

Primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is thought to be caused by circulating factors leading to podocytopathy, whereas segmental sclerotic lesions (FSGS lesions) have several causes. We studied the clinicopathological differences of FSGS-lesions in 258 cases of FSGS in renal allografts, depending on the following accompanying pathophysiology: recurrence of primary FSGS, calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-induced arteriolopathy, antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), and other conditions. All cases were categorized with the Columbia classification. Recurrent FSGS developed the earliest after transplantation and showed the highest percentage of the collapsing (COL) variant in which collapse of the glomerular capillaries with epithelial hypertrophy was apparent. FSGS accompanying CNI-induced arteriolopathy predominantly developed the not otherwise specified (NOS) variant, showing severe ultrastructural endothelial injury. On the contrary, approximately 7% of the cases showed the COL variant, presenting glomerular endothelial damage such as double contours of glomerular basement membrane and endothelial cell swelling as well as epithelial cell proliferation. FSGS with ABMR had the highest creatinine levels and cellular variant percentage, with marked inflammation and ultrastructural endothelial injury. Approximately two-thirds of the cases without ABMR, CNI-induced arteriopathy, or recurrent FSGS had other coexisting conditions such as glomerulonephritis, T cell-mediated rejection, and reflux nephropathy with progressive tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Most of these cases were of the NOS variant. The clinicopathologic features of post-transplant FSGS differed depending on the associated conditions, and endothelial injury was apparent especially in cases of CNI-induced arteriolopathy and ABMR. Precise observation of FSGS lesions may facilitate the diagnosis and clinical management of FSGS during renal transplantation.

Searching for Significance in Oceania: A Voyage of Recurrent FSGS in a Patient from the Marshall Islands with Variants of Uncertain Significance

Searching for Significance in Oceania: A Voyage of Recurrent FSGS in a Patient from the Marshall Islands with Variants of Uncertain Significance

FSGS Recurrence Modeling Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Podocytes in Patients with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FSGS Recurrence Modeling Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Podocytes in Patients with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in pediatric kidney transplant recipients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis is the most prevalent acquired kidney disease leading to end-stage renal disease in children and has a propensity for recurring in the transplanted kidney. The recurrence of FSGS after kidney transplantation in children varies greatly. In addition, the risk factors and outcomes of recurrence of FSGS remain controversial. This study evaluated the recurrence rate, risk factors, and prognosis of FSGS after kidney transplantation in order to provide advice and assistance in clinical decision-making for pediatric kidney transplantation. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and other databases were searched from the establishment of the repository to March 2022. We extracted data on incidence, risk factors, and outcomes. The results showed that the recurrence rate of primary FSGS in children after renal transplantation was 48% (95% CI 36%-59%) and the recurrence rate of FSGS (all forms) was 35% (95% CI 17%-52%). The graft loss rate of primary FSGS in children after kidney transplantation was 29% (95% CI 17%-42%) and the graft loss rate of FSGS (all forms) was 29% (95% CI 4%-62%). 57% (95% CI 42%-73%) of pediatric patients with recurrent primary FSGS showed complete remission. Risk factor analyses showed that age of onset (SMD .69, 95% CI .20-1.19, p=.006) was related to the recurrence of primary FSGS, whereas the living related donor was not a risk factor for recurrent primary FSGS in pediatrics after kidney transplantation (OR 1.22, 95% CI .48-3.10, p=.674). The recurrence rate and graft loss rate of FSGS in children after kidney transplantation were relatively high. Age at onset was associated with a risk for recurrent primary FSGS, whereas the living related donor was not a risk factor for recurrent FSGS in pediatric kidney recipients.

Current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of circulating permeability factor in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the onset and the post-transplant recurrence of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are complex and remain yet to be fully elucidated. However, a growing body of evidence emphasizes the pivotal role of the immune system in both initiating and perpetuating the disease. Extensive investigations, encompassing both experimental models and patient studies, have implicated T cells, B cells, and complement as crucial actors in the pathogenesis of primary FSGS, with various molecules being proposed as potential "circulating factors" contributing to the disease and its recurrence post kidney-transplantation. In this review, we critically assessed the existing literature to identify essential pathways for a comprehensive characterization of the pathogenesis of FSGS. Recent discoveries have shed further light on the intricate interplay between these mechanisms. We present an overview of the current understanding of the engagement of distinct molecules and immune cells in FSGS pathogenesis while highlighting critical knowledge gaps that require attention. A thorough characterization of these intricate immune mechanisms holds the potential to identify noninvasive biomarkers that can accurately identify patients at high risk of post-transplant recurrence. Such knowledge can pave the way for the development of targeted and personalized therapeutic approaches in the management of FSGS.

The podocyte: glomerular sentinel at the crossroads of innate and adaptive immunity.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common glomerular disorder that manifests clinically with the nephrotic syndrome and has a propensity to recur following kidney transplantation. The pathophysiology and therapies available to treat FSGS currently remain elusive. Since the podocyte appears to be the target of apparent circulating factor(s) that lead to recurrence of proteinuria following kidney transplantation, this article is focused on the podocyte. In the context of kidney transplantation, the performance of pre- and post-reperfusion biopsies, and the establishment of in vitro podocyte liquid biopsies/assays allow for the development of clinically relevant studies of podocyte biology. This has given insight into new pathways, involving novel targets in innate and adaptive immunity, such as SMPDL3b, cGAS-STING, and B7-1. Elegant experimental studies suggest that the successful clinical use of rituximab and abatacept, two immunomodulating agents, in our case series, may be due to direct effects on the podocyte, in addition to, or perhaps distinct from their immunosuppressive functions. Thus, tissue biomarker-directed therapy may provide a rational approach to validate the mechanism of disease and allow for the development of new therapeutics for FSGS. This report highlights recent progress in the field and emphasizes the importance of kidney transplantation and recurrent FSGS (rFSGS) as a platform for the study of primary FSGS.

#4635 CIRCULATING NEPHRIN AUTOANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH POST-TRANSPLANT RECURRENCE OF PRIMARY FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS

Abstract Background and Aims Post-transplant recurrence of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a major challenge in the field of nephrology and kidney transplantation. Primary FSGS is thought to be caused by circulating factors (CFs) that injure podocytes, but these factors remain unknown despite intensive efforts to identify them. Recently, one post-transplant recurrent FSGS patient with pretransplant nephrin autoantibodies was reported (Watts AJB et al, JASN 33:238, 2022). Furthermore, we reported very early post-transplant recurrence changes of podocytes and possible roles of circulating nephrin autoantibodies in a patient with FSGS recurrence (Hattori M et al, AJT 22:2478, 2022). To confirm these preliminary results, we examined the autoantibodies to nephrin and the punctate deposition of IgG colocalized with nephrin using stocked plasma samples and grafted kidney biopsy specimens of the patients with FSGS recurrence. Method This study was approved by the local Ethics Committee of Tokyo Women's Medical University (approval no. 2021-0184). The clinical and research activities reported here are consistent with the Principles of the Declaration of Istanbul as outlined in the “Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism”. From 1989 to 2022, a total of 78 patients with FSGS underwent kidney transplantation in our institution, and 16 patients experienced post-transplant recurrence of FSGS. Since the stoked plasma samples were available in 14 out of 16 patients, these 14 patients were included in this study. All 14 patients showed immediate post-transplant recurrence and had no pathogenic variants in FSGS-related genes including NPHS1. Circulating anti-nephrin autoantibodies were measured using the ELISA methods based on the Watts's report with one modification, that is, recombinant extracellular domain of human nephrin was obtained commercially (R&amp;D systems, USA). To validate the ELISA system, circulating anti-nephrin autoantibodies were also measured in 9 genetic FSGS patients, 13 membranous nephropathy (MN) patients, 4 lupus nephritis (LN) patients, and 13 healthy controls. Dual immunofluorescence (IF) staining of nephrin and IgG and image acquisition using the two-dimensional structured illumination microscopy mode with a Nikon microscope were performed as previously reported (Hattori M et al, AJT 22:2478, 2022). Results The cut-off level of anti-nephrin antibody calculated from the results of a total 30 cases including 13 MN patients, 4 LN patients, and 13 healthy controls using Frey's formula (J Immunol Method, 1998) was 172.2 U/mL All 14 recurrent patients enrolled in this study had higher titter than the cut-off level and the mean ± SD of the anti-nephrin antibody level in these patients was 939.9 ± 261.8 U/mL. In contrast, the mean anti-nephrin antibody level in patients with genetic FSGS was 98.6 ± 77.3 U/mL, which was comparable with healthy controls. The IF staining of graft biopsy specimens showed punctate depositions of IgG colocalized with nephrin in all 14 recurrent patients. Conclusion The autoantibodies to nephrin in plasma samples and the punctate deposition of IgG colocalized with nephrin in grafted kidney biopsy specimens were observed in all 14 patients with post-transplant recurrent FSGS. Further studies in larger numbers of patients as well as in patients of other ethnicities are clearly required to confirm this surprising result; however, circulating nephrin autoantibodies could be a possible candidate for CFs in the pathogenesis of recurrent FSGS.

Arteriovenous fistula in a renal allograft with gross hematuria and subsequent acute kidney injury due to urinary tract obstruction: a case report

BackgroundArteriovenous fistula (AVF) due to renal allograft biopsy is mechanical trauma resulting from the penetration of small arteries and veins by a core needle. Most AVFs are reported to resolve asymptomatically and spontaneously. This report presents a patient with acute kidney injury (AKI) due to urinary tract obstruction caused by a bleeding AVF in a renal allograft.Case presentationA 22-year-old Japanese woman who underwent living-donor kidney transplantation (KT) at 3 years due to end-stage renal disease caused by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) presented with a renal transplant AVF (gourd-shaped; 42 × 19 × 20 mm). The AVF was unexpectedly discovered by ultrasound before a surveillance biopsy at 10 years after KT. The patient had a history of recurrent FSGS, had undergone several renal allograft biopsies after KT, and did not experience symptoms or growth of the AVF for years. Nineteen years after KT, the patient developed AKI with sudden, asymptomatic, gross hematuria and anuria. Plain computed tomography revealed a hematoma in the pelvis of the renal allograft and bladder tamponade. The AVF was successfully treated by coil embolization. Hemodialysis was performed for AKI, and graft function was gradually recovered.ConclusionsUnexpected bleeding from a renal transplant AVF may lead to transplant dysfunction. Angiographic embolization against the ruptured renal transplant AVF may prevent rebleeding and rescue the renal allograft.

A randomized controlled trial of preemptive rituximab to prevent recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis post-kidney transplant (PRI-VENT FSGS): protocol and study design.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common cause of end-stage kidney disease requiring kidney transplantation and can recur in the allograft in 30-80% of recipients resulting in reduced graft survival. Plasmapheresis has shown efficacy in treating some cases of recurrent FSGS but isolated plasmapheresis has not demonstrated efficacy in preventing recurrent FSGS. Rituximab has had anecdotal success in preventing recurrence in a single center study but has not been studied in combination with plasmapheresis for preventing FSGS recurrence. We are conducting a randomized, controlled, multicenter clinical trial of adult and pediatric kidney transplant recipients with primary FSGS to assess whether plasmapheresis in combination with rituximab prevents recurrent disease post-transplantation. Rituximab combined with plasmapheresis is a promising, novel therapy to prevent recurrent FSGS, a disease with limited therapeutic options and no consensus guidelines for prevention or treatment. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03763643, identifier NCT03763643.