Article
Urology & Nephrology
Elodie Bailly, Camila Macedo, Jason Ossart, Kevin Louis, Xinyan Gu, Bala Ramaswami, Carol Bentlejewski, Adriana Zeevi, Parmjeet Randhawa, Carmen Lefaucheur, Diana Metes
Summary: CD160+ IL-21R+ NK cells play a crucial role in kidney allograft antibody-mediated rejection. These cells exhibit distinct phenotypic and functional characteristics and are involved in the rejection response by activating multiple signaling pathways.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily Kang, Cigall Kadoch, James L. Rubenstein, Lewis L. Lanier, James A. Wells
Summary: Through a functional screen, we identified five antibodies that can activate NK cells and enhance their cytotoxicity and interferon-gamma secretion. These antibodies can be further developed into bispecific antibodies to redirect NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity towards CD20+ B cell lymphoma cells and HER2+ breast cancer cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Lan Zhu, Zhiliang Guo, Daqiang Zhao, Rula Sa, Guangyuan Zhao, Hui Guo, Gang Chen
Summary: This study designed a novel regimen for the treatment of late or chronic active antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in renal transplant recipients. The regimen included early intensive therapy with daratumumab plus plasmapheresis/IVIG and later maintenance therapy with daratumumab alone. The results showed that this daratumumab-based regimen had promising results in treating refractory late or chronic active AMR.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Zhiliang Guo, Daqiang Zhao, Rula Sa, Lu Wang, Songxia Li, Guangyuan Zhao, Lan Zhu, Gang Chen
Summary: A modified IVIG-based perioperative regimen can achieve excellent intermediate-term graft and recipient survival outcomes in presensitized patients who received deceased donor kidney transplantation without prior desensitization.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Hannes Vietzen, Bernd Doehler, Thuong Hien Tran, Caner Suesal, Philip F. Halloran, Farsad Eskandary, Carsten T. Herz, Katharina A. Mayer, Nicolas Kozakowski, Markus Wahrmann, Sarah Ely, Susanne Haindl, Elisabeth Puchhammer-Stoeckl, Georg A. Boehmig
Summary: The KLRC2 gene deletion variants may increase the susceptibility of NK cells to antibody-mediated rejection of renal allografts and are associated with pathological features and gene expression patterns related to donor-specific antibodies. However, these findings do not translate into meaningful differences in graft survival in a large kidney transplant cohort.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Jasper Callemeyn, Aleksandar Senev, Maarten Coemans, Evelyne Lerut, Ben Sprangers, Dirk Kuypers, Alice Koenig, Olivier Thaunat, Marie-Paule Emonds, Maarten Naesens
Summary: This study found that missing self increases the risk of microvascular inflammation after kidney transplantation, especially when multiple types of missing self occur simultaneously, independent of HLA-DSA. Systematic evaluation of missing self may improve understanding of HLA-DSA-negative MVI and could be relevant for improved diagnostic classification and patient risk stratification.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Aleksandar Senev, Evelyne Lerut, Maarten Coemans, Jasper Callemeyn, Hannah Charlotte Copley, Frans Claas, Priyanka Koshy, Vasilis Kosmoliaptsis, Dirk Kuypers, Ben Sprangers, Amaryllis Van Craenenbroeck, Elisabet Van Loon, Vicky Van Sandt, Marie-Paule Emonds, Maarten Naesens
Summary: The histology of antibody-mediated rejection after kidney transplantation can be observed in the absence of detectable donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies, and the degree of HLA mismatch is associated with the development of this phenotype.
CLINICAL JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Marta Crespo, Laura Llinas-Mallol, Dolores Redondo-Pachon, Carrie Butler, Javier Gimeno, Maria Jose Perez-Saez, Carla Burballa, Anna Buxeda, Carlos Arias-Cabrales, Montserrat Folgueiras, Sara Sanz-Urena, Nicole M. Valenzuela, Elaine F. Reed, Julio Pascual
Summary: The relationship between HLA-DSA and ABMR in kidney transplant recipients is strong but imperfect. Pre-transplant HLA-DSA and AT(1)R-Ab are more common in ABMR, indicating their potential role in ABMR(h)DSA(pos) cases. HLA epitope mismatches are associated with ABMR(h)DSA(pos) cases, suggesting non-HLA factors may contribute to the development of ABMR.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Jack Beadle, Artemis Papadaki, Frederic Toulza, Eva Santos, Michelle Willicombe, Adam Mclean, James Peters, Candice Roufosse
Summary: A nine gene score has been developed to diagnose antibody mediated rejection (AMR) of kidney transplants, and it can identify cases with a higher risk of allograft loss.
KIDNEY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Urology & Nephrology
Christoph B. Waldecker, Panagiota Zgoura, Felix S. Seibert, Sabina Gall, Peter Schenker, Frederic Bauer, Benjamin Rohn, Richard Viebahn, Nina Babel, Timm H. Westhoff
Summary: Most transplant recipients with de novo DSA show histological signs of rejection, even in the absence of proteinuria and deterioration of graft function, indicating the need for routine allograft biopsy following DSA detection.
JOURNAL OF NEPHROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Hoa Le Mai, Nicolas Degauque, Sabine Le Bot, Marie Rimbert, Karine Renaudin, Richard Danger, Florent Le Borgne, Clarisse Kerleau, Gaelle Tilly, Anais Vivet, Florent Delbos, Alexandre Walencik, Magali Giral, Sophie Brouard
Summary: The study found that the percentage and absolute number of CD28-CD8+ T cells were significantly increased in kidney transplant patients with antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). Moreover, CD28-CD8+ T cells from patients with ABMR showed a more rigorous response to stimulation compared to their CD28+ counterparts. These findings suggest that differentiated CD28-CD8+ T cells, with increased frequency, number, and function, may play a role in the pathobiology of ABMR.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Covadonga Lopez del Moral, Kaiyin Wu, Marcel Naik, Bilgin Osmanodja, Aylin Akifova, Nils Lachmann, Diana Stauch, Sabine Hergovits, Mira Choi, Friederike Bachmann, Fabian Halleck, Eva Schrezenmeier, Danilo Schmidt, Klemens Budde
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the natural course of dnDSA after kidney transplantation, demonstrates the impact of MFI evolution on graft outcomes, and identifies a subgroup of patients with a stable disappearance of dnDSA associated with better allograft survival.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Florian Kaelble, Caner Suesal, Luiza Pego da Silva, Claudius Speer, Louise Benning, Christian Nusshag, Lien Pham, Hien Tran, Matthias Schaier, Claudia Sommerer, Joerg Beimler, Arianeb Mehrabi, Martin Zeier, Christian Morath
Summary: Living donor kidney transplant recipients with pre-existing sensitization can achieve good graft outcomes with desensitization protocols, comparable to standard-risk recipients. Adequate patient selection and close immunological monitoring are crucial to minimize rejection episodes and graft loss.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Fei Han, Qipeng Sun, Zhengyu Huang, Heng Li, Maolin Ma, Tao Liao, Zihuang Luo, Lingling Zheng, Nana Zhang, Nan Chen, Liangqing Hong, Ning Na, Qiquan Sun
Summary: The study reveals that donor plasma mitochondrial DNA (dmtDNA) levels are correlated with the occurrence of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) in renal allograft recipients. Higher dmtDNA levels are associated with acute rejection and ABMR, presenting dmtDNA as a potential predictive marker for ABMR in organ evaluation.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Marek Novotny, Petra Hruba, Martin Kment, Ludek Voska, Katerina Kabrtova, Antonij Slavcev, Ondrej Viklicky
Summary: This study found that intimal arteritis as part of ABMR represented a risk for early development of transplant glomerulopathy regardless of DSA status. In DSA positive ABMR, intimal arteritis was associated with a high-risk phenotype.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Statistics & Probability
Maarten Coemans, Geert Verbeke, Maarten Naesens
Summary: This study examines the diagnostic value of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in kidney graft rejection by building a joint model that combines characteristics of transition models and shared parameter models. Applying the model to data from University Hospitals Leuven, the study concludes that a negative deviation from the mean eGFR slope increases the probability of rejection in indication biopsies, but using the eGFR profile alone has limited benefit for diagnosing rejection when considering biopsy history. Methodologically, the study fills a gap in the biomarker literature by relating a frequently measured continuous outcome with a less frequently measured binary indicator, and the developed joint transition model is versatile and applicable to other research settings.
STATISTICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Transplantation
Solene M. Laville, Aymeric Couturier, Oriane Lambert, Marie Metzger, Nicolas Mansencal, Christian Jacquelinet, Maurice Laville, Luc Frimat, Denis Fouque, Christian Combe, Bruce M. Robinson, Benedicte Stengel, Sophie Liabeuf, Ziad A. Massy
Summary: This study aimed to determine the association between serum urea levels and adverse cardiovascular events and death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) before renal replacement therapy (RRT). The study found that elevated serum urea levels were associated with increased risk of atheromatous and non-atheromatous cardiovascular events, as well as higher mortality rates.
NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Sukhdeep S. Jatana, Hedi Zhao, Laurine M. Bow, Emanuele Cozzi, Ibrahim Batal, Tillie Horak, Alexandre Amar-Zifkin, Carrie Schinstock, Medhat Askar, Darshana M. Dadhania, Matthew Cooper, Maarten Naesens, Edward S. Kraus, Ruth Sapir-Pichhadze
Summary: This study systematically assessed the definition and prognostic implications of HLA incompatibility in transplant outcomes, finding heterogeneity in the definition and incomplete reporting of variables. The risk of bias in studies examining the association between death-censored graft failure and HLA incompatibility was high. Therefore, optimizing HLA compatibility assessment and standardizing the reporting of variables are necessary for improving transplant outcomes and promoting international collaboration.
Article
Surgery
Anna Buxeda, Laura Llinas-Mallol, Javier Gimeno, Dolores Redondo-Pachon, Carlos Arias-Cabrales, Carla Burballa, Adrian Puche, Miguel Lopez-Botet, Jose Yelamos, Carlos Vilches, Maarten Naesens, Maria Jose Perez-Saez, Julio Pascual, Marta Crespo
Summary: Isolated microvascular inflammation (iMVI) is a rare phenotype that cannot be classified as antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) in recent Banff classifications because it lacks HLA donor-specific antibodies or C4d deposition. In this study, we compared peripheral blood leukocyte distribution and inflammatory infiltrates in kidney transplant biopsies among ABMR, iMVI, and normal cases. We found that iMVI had fewer lymphocytes and peripheral T cells compared to ABMR and normal cases, but more NKG2A+ NK cells. iMVI also showed decreased plasma cell infiltration and increased cytotoxic T cell infiltration compared to ABMR.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marion Pepin, Helene Levassort, Julie Boucquemont, Oriane Lambert, Natalia Alencar de Pinho, Monica Turinici, Catherine Helmer, Marie Metzger, Lynda Cheddani, Luc Frimat, Christian Combe, Denis Fouque, Maurice Laville, Carole Ayav, Sophie Liabeuf, Christian Jacquelinet, Laurent Teillet, Benedicte Stengel, Ziad A. Massy
Summary: This study investigated the association between kidney function and cognitive function in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), as well as the influence of cardiovascular risk factors and depression on this association. The results showed that lower baseline kidney function was associated with worse cognitive performance and incident cognitive events, independently of demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and depression.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Transplantation
Rianne Boenink, Anneke Kramer, Raymond C. Vanholder, Beatriz Mahillo, Ziad A. Massy, Mirela Busic, Alberto Ortiz, Vianda S. Stel, Kitty J. Jager, Survey Collaborators
Summary: A survey was conducted among kidney transplantation experts from 39 European countries to investigate the factors influencing kidney transplantation rates. The study found that low-rate countries took more measures regarding staff, equipment, and facilities, while high-rate countries took more measures specific to deceased donor transplantation. Furthermore, low-rate countries reported more potential barriers, such as lack of knowledge and distrust in the healthcare system.
NEPHROLOGY DIALYSIS TRANSPLANTATION
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Claire Tinel, Baptiste Lamarthee, Stephane Gazut, Elisabet Van Loon, Florent Von Tokarski, Aurelien Benon, Virginia Sauvaget, Victor Garcia-Paredes, Mickael Menager, Lise Morin, Laila Aouni, Nicolas Cagnard, Marion Rabant, Christophe Legendre, Fabiola Terzi, Marie Essig, Wilfried Gwinner, Maarten Naesens, Pierre Marquet, Dany Anglicheau
Summary: Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs are involved in the pathophysiology of renal diseases, including kidney transplantation. In this study, the researchers investigated the changes in circulating microRNA expression and their involvement in antibody-mediated rejection. They found that certain microRNAs were significantly decreased in samples with rejection, and these microRNAs were associated with myeloid-related pathways and CD14+ monocytes.
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Marlies Noordzij, Bjorn Meijers, Ron T. Gansevoort, Adrian Covic, Raphael Duivenvoorden, Luuk B. Hilbrands, Marc H. Hemmelder, Kitty J. Jager, Geir Mjoen, Ionut Nistor, Ekaterina Parshina, Giuseppina Pessolano, Serhan Tuglular, Priya Vart, Luca Zanoli, Casper F. M. Franssen, ERACODA collaborators
Summary: This study analyzed the infection prevention and control strategies implemented by dialysis centers in Europe during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that most centers implemented measures such as fever screening, hand disinfection, and mask-wearing to prevent the spread of the virus. There were variations between centers and national guidelines in terms of recommended distances between dialysis chairs and isolation practices.
CLINICAL KIDNEY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Lauren De Grave, Celeste Di Meo, Coralie Greant, Bo Van Durme, Melanie Gerard, Annalisa La Gatta, Chiara Schiraldi, Lieven Thorrez, Katrien V. Bernaerts, Sandra Van Vlierberghe
Summary: Functionalization of pAsp with photo-crosslinkable moieties (norbornene and methacrylate) was studied, showing their influence on crosslinking mechanism, mechanical properties and biocompatibility of hydrogels. Norbornene-modified pAsp hydrogels with Li-TPO-L photo-initiator and a thiol-based crosslinker exhibited fast crosslinking kinetics, high swelling ratio and a lower storage modulus. Methacrylate-modified pAsp hydrogels crosslinked slower, had a lower swelling ratio, but a higher storage modulus. Both hydrogel materials were non-cytotoxic and processable for biomedical applications.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Margherita Burattini, Robrecht Lippens, Nicolas Baleine, Melanie Gerard, Joeri Van Meerssche, Chloe Geeroms, Jeremy Odent, Jean-Marie Raquez, Sandra Van Vlierberghe, Lieven Thorrez
Summary: In this study, Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA) is modified with hydrophilic 2-acryloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride (AETA) and 3-sulfopropyl acrylate potassium (SPA) ionic comonomers to create a piezoionic hydrogel. The modified GelMA exhibits increased ionic conductivity and electrical response to mechanical stress, making it suitable for tissue engineering of skeletal muscles. The viability of murine myoblasts on the piezoionic hydrogels confirms their biocompatibility and the potential for utilizing piezo-effects in tissue engineering.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mathilde Prezelin-Reydit, Christian Combe, Denis Fouque, Luc Frimat, Christian Jacquelinet, Maurice Laville, Ziad Massy, Celine Lange, Carole Ayav, Roberto Pecoits-Filho, Sophie Liabeuf, Benedicte Stengel, Jerome Harambat, Karen Leffondre
Summary: We examined the correlation between uric acid levels and the risk of kidney failure and death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Higher uric acid levels above 10 mg/dl indicated an increased risk of kidney failure and death, while lower levels below 5 mg/dl were associated with death before kidney failure. These findings suggest that uric acid levels can serve as a potential marker for assessing the risk of adverse outcomes in CKD patients.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xinyu Wang, Lisanne Terrie, Guanghui Wu, Els J. M. Van Damme, Lieven Thorrez, Anthony R. Fooks, Ashley C. Banyard, Dirk Jochmans, Johan Neyts
Summary: Infection with the rabies virus is a deadly neurological disease, but post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with vaccination and anti-rabies immunoglobulins (RIGs) is 100% effective if administered early. This study found that Urtica dioica agglutinin (UDA), a specific lectin, can prevent the entry of the virus into host cells and effectively stop virus replication in a muscle model. UDA holds promise as a cheap and simple alternative for RIGs in PEP.
Letter
Urology & Nephrology
Angelica Pagliazzi, Elisabet Van Loon, Maarten Naesens
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maria Olenic, Lieven Thorrez
Summary: Some companies in the cultured meat industry claim that cultured meat is identical in taste, flavor, and nutrition to traditional meat, but without the need for animal slaughter, and it brings benefits for human health and the environment. However, it is important to note that cultured meat is still in the early stages of development, and many of these claims are based on assumptions rather than facts. In this work, the authors outline several knowledge gaps, primarily focusing on technical issues, with implications for potential benefits, as well as economic and regulatory challenges.
ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
(2023)
