Intro to kidney transplantation Flashcards
Outline the role of immunology in graft rejection
-T cells arrange the allo-immune response after transplantation and are essential for graft rejection
Effector mechanisms of graft injury include:
- CD8+ mediated cytotoxicity
- CD4+ mediated delayed type hypersensitivity like reaction
- Antibody mediated injury
Define allograft
A tissue graft from a donor of the same species as the recipient but not genetically identical.
Outline the different types of organ donor
- Donation after brain death (DBD)
- Donation after circulatory death
- Living donation
- Expanded criteria (EC) donors
What are the barriers for transplantation?
- ABO antigens
- HLA antigens
- Preformed anti-HLA antigens
Outline what testing needs to be done prior to kidney transplantation
- HLA antigens(donor/recipient)-matching not required
- Preformed anti-HLA abs against donor(pregnancy, transfusion, prior transplant)
- ABO compatibility (A2 less antigenic: <1.8titers)
What are the challenges faced in transplantation
- Significant decrease in rates of early acute rejection
- Little substantial improvement in long-term allograft and patient survival
- Requirement for use of more marginal grafts, older donors & immunologically sensitized recipients with higher co-morbidity
Explain the principles of Donor-Recipient matching in kidney transplantation
- ) ABO compatibility=avoids hyperacute rejection
- Best HLA match (HLA-DR> HLA-B> HLA-A)=Reduces risk of acute rejection; improves graft survival; prevents allo-sensitisation
- ) No preformed anti-donor HLA abs (negative cross match)=avoids hyperacute rejection
- )Minimise cold ischaemia time=reduces allograft injury
Outline the characteristics of ABO antigens
- Expressed on donor kidneys
- ABO compatibility between donor kidney and recipient is as in blood transfusion(except that A2 kidney donors may be transplanted into O or B recipients if anti-A ab titres are low)
- ABO incompatible transplantation
- Blood type O are universal donors
Outline the different recipient ABO types and state…
i. ) the ABO abs on recipients’ serum
ii. )compatible ABO type of donor kidney
(1. )A
i. )=Anti B
ii. ) A or O
(2. )B
i. )= Anti A
ii. ) B or O
(3. )O
i. ) Anti A and Anti B
ii. )O only
(4. )AB
i. )=none
ii. ) All
Why is it the O negative is now only considered the universal donor
cos it doesnt contain any Rh antigen (aswell as lacking all the other antigens)
Outline the role HLA abs
- May develop after exposure to blood products, pregnancies or prior transplants
- Presence of preformed anti-HLA sb against the donor kidney is associated with a higher risk of ab mediated rejection
- A positive CDC T cell cross match is an absolute contraindication for renal transplantation
- De novo DSA post-tx is a major cause of graft loss
What is the aim of paired kidney donation
- Good solution when donor/recipient pairs are ABO or HLA incompatible
- Exchange donor transplants to improve compatibility
Outline the basic principles of immunosuppression in transplants
- Risk of acute rejection and graft loss is highest in the first 3 months &immunosuppression is at it’s highest during this period
- Serious side effects of immunosuppresive therapy (i.e. infections & malignancy) correlate with total immunosuppressive burden
- Immunosuppression tapers slowly to maintenance levels by 6-12months
State some risk factors for transplant rejection
- African american decent
- Younger
- HLA mismatch
- previous transplants
- High PRA/positive DSA
- Aggressive auto-immune disease
- Prior rejection
State examples of induction immunosuppression
- )Monoclonal abs
- Basiliximab (anti-IL2 receptor)
- Alemtuzumab(anti-CD52) - )Polyclonal abs
- Antithymocyte globulin (rabbit or horse)