Infective Artery Rupture of Renal Allografts:A Single-Center Retrospective Study in China

Objective:This study investigated the composition of pathogenic microorganisms,clinical features,and therapeutic strategies of infective artery rupture of renal allografts in recipients receiving deceased donor(DD)kidneys.Methods:We retrospectively studied the clinical data of the DD kidney transplant recipients with donor-associated infection at Tongji Hospital,Wuhan,China from January 1,2015 to December 31,2018,related recipients and corresponding donors.We collected the entire results of pathogenic microorganisms cultured from these related ruptured kidneys and then analyzed their distribution and differences.Results:A total of 1440 kidney transplants from DD were performed in our center.The total incidence of infective artery rupture in kidney transplants was about 0.76%(11/1440),and the annual incidence ranged from 0.25%to 1.03%.The microbial culture results revealed that 11 recipients suffered from infective artery rupture and 3 recipients who accepted the kidney from same donor had the donor-associated pathogens,including 9 fungal strains(28.1%)and 23 bacterial strains(71.9%).There were 4 recipients infected with multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus and Klebsiella pneumoniae from the above 11 recipients,of which,10 recipients underwent graft loss,and one died of septic shock.The microbial cultures of the remaining 3 recipients who received appropriate anti-infective regimens turned negative eventually,and the patients were discharged successfully without significant complications.Conclusion:Renal recipients with infections derived from DDs were at high risk of artery rupture,graft loss,or even death.Appropriate anti-infective treatment is essential to reduce the incidence of artery rupture and mortality.

Relationship of Transforming Growth Factor-β1 and Arginase-1 Levels with Long-term Survival after Kidney Transplantation

In this study, we compared the serum levels of transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）, interleukin-10 （IL-10）, and arginase-1 in long-term survival kidney transplant recipients （LTSKTRs） with those in short-term survival kidney transplant recipients （STSKTRs）. We then evaluated the relationship between these levels and graft function. Blood samples were collected from 50 adult LTSKTRs and 20 STSKTRs （graft survival approximately 1-3 years post-transplantation）. All patients had stable kidney function. The samples were collected at our institution during the patients＇ follow-up examinations between March 2017 and September 2017. The plasma levels of TGF-β1, IL- 10, and arginase- 1 were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays （ELISA）. The levels of TGF-β1 and arginase-1 were significantly higher in the LTSKTRs than in the STSKTRs. The time elapsed since transplantation was positively correlated with the levels of TGF-β1 and arginase-1 in the LTSKTRs. The estimated glomerular filtration rate was positively correlated with the TGF-β1 level, and the serum creatinine level was negatively correlated with the TGF-β1 level. Higher serum levels of TGF-β1 and arginase-1 were found in LTSKTRs than in STSKTRs, and we found that TGF-β1 was positively correlated with long-term graft survival and function. Additionally, TGF-β1 and arginase-1 levels were positively correlated with the time elapsed since transplantation. On the basis of these findings, TGF-β1 and arginase- 1 may play important roles in determining long-term graft survival. Thus, we propose that TGF-β1 and arginase-1 may potentially be used as predictive markers for evaluating long-term graft survival.