Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea.
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 May 9;25(10):5139. doi: 10.3390/ijms25105139.
Acute rejection (AR) is critical for long-term graft survival in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the integrated risk score of omics-based biomarkers in predicting AR in KTRs. This prospective, randomized, controlled, multicenter, pilot study enrolled 40 patients who recently underwent high-immunologic-risk kidney transplantation (KT). Five omics biomarkers were measured, namely, blood mRNA (three-gene signature), urinary exosomal miRNA (three-gene signature), urinary mRNA (six-gene signature), and two urinary exosomal proteins (hemopexin and tetraspanin-1) at 2 weeks and every 4 weeks after KT for 1 year. An integrated risk score was generated by summing each biomarker up. The biomarker group was informed about the integrated risk scores and used to adjust immunosuppression, but not the control group. The outcomes were graft function and frequency of graft biopsy. Sixteen patients in the biomarker group and nineteen in the control group completed the study. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate after KT did not differ between the groups. Graft biopsy was performed in two patients (12.5%) and nine (47.4%) in the biomarker and control groups, respectively, with the proportion being significantly lower in the biomarker group ( = 0.027). One patient (6.3%) in the biomarker group and two (10.5%) in the control group were diagnosed with AR, and the AR incidence did not differ between the groups. The tacrolimus trough level was significantly lower in the biomarker group than in the control group at 1 year after KT ( = 0.006). Integrated omics biomarker monitoring may help prevent unnecessary or high-complication-risk biopsy and enables tailored immunosuppression by predicting the risk of AR in KTRs.
急性排斥反应(AR)是影响肾移植受者(KTR)长期移植物存活的关键因素。本研究旨在评估基于组学生物标志物的综合风险评分预测 KTR 中 AR 的疗效。这是一项前瞻性、随机、对照、多中心、初步研究,纳入了 40 名近期接受高免疫风险肾移植(KT)的患者。在 KT 后 2 周和 1 年内每 4 周,测量了 5 种组学生物标志物,即血液 mRNA(三基因特征)、尿外泌体 miRNA(三基因特征)、尿 mRNA(六基因特征)和两种尿外泌体蛋白(触珠蛋白和四跨膜蛋白 1)。通过将每个生物标志物相加来生成综合风险评分。生物标志物组会被告知综合风险评分,并用于调整免疫抑制,但对照组不会。结局为移植物功能和移植物活检的频率。生物标志物组的 16 名患者和对照组的 19 名患者完成了研究。KT 后估计肾小球滤过率在两组间无差异。在生物标志物组中进行了 2 次活检(12.5%),对照组中进行了 9 次活检(47.4%),生物标志物组的比例明显较低( = 0.027)。生物标志物组中有 1 名患者(6.3%)和对照组中有 2 名患者(10.5%)被诊断为 AR,两组的 AR 发生率无差异。KT 后 1 年,生物标志物组的他克莫司谷浓度明显低于对照组( = 0.006)。综合组学生物标志物监测可能有助于预防不必要的或高并发症风险的活检,并通过预测 KTR 中 AR 的风险来实现个体化的免疫抑制。