C1q Binding Ability for Prior Risk Assessment of Acute Antibody-Mediated Rejection in ABO-Incompatible Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

In ABO blood group incompatible kidney transplantation (ABO-I), potential issues on acute antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) remain to be solved. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of acute ABMR using recipient- or donor-derived specimens. Quantitative analysis of A/B antigen expression was conducted in 104 donor kidney tissues (Kt), platelets (Plt), and red blood cells (RBC) by immunohistochemical staining or flow cytometry (FCM). ABO-I pre-transplant recipient serum samples (ABMR = 12, non-ABMR = 27) were extracted by propensity score matching. Anti-A antibody titers of IgM, IgG and IgG subclasses, and C1q binding ability (%) on antibody were measured using RBC-FCM. No association was observed between ABMR and A/B antigen expression levels in donor's Plt, RBC, or Kt. In recipient's sample, C1q-IgG binding ability was significantly higher in the ABMR group than in the non-ABMR group (C1q-IgG: 9.04% vs. 5.93% p = 0.049). Neither the A/B antigen expression level in donors (grafts) nor anti-blood group IgG/IgM antibodies in recipient sera before desensitization seemed to influence ABMR incidence in ABO-I. In contrast, C1q-IgG binding ability could be a potential predictor for ABMR in ABO-I.

Keywords: A/B antigen expression levels of donor specimens; ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation; C1q binding ability; IgG subclasses; acute antibody-mediated rejection.