Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for serum renal tubular antigen in kidney transplant patients

A mouse monoclonal antibody, specific for binding with the epithelial surface antigen in human renal proximal tubules, was produced by hybridoma culture. Using this antibody, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed to measure the human renal tubular epithelial antigen (HRTE) concentrations in serum samples from 25 normal subjects and 66 consecutive renal allograft recipients. In 46 patients treated with azathioprine and prednisone, serum HRTE was elevated more than two-fold in 56 of 62 rejection episodes 2-5 days before the clinical diagnosis was made. Of the 56 rejection episodes, the antigen level fell to baseline after treatment in 44 steroid-responsive episodes, but it remained elevated in 8 steroid-resistant rejections, and it became undetectable 3-4 days after the initial elevation in 4 episodes in which allografts were lost to rejection. In 20 patients treated with cyclosporine and prednisone, all 25 rejection episodes demonstrated a greater than two-fold increase of serum HRTE 1-6 days prior to the diagnosis of rejection. The antigen level fell to baseline in 23 reversible rejection episodes, however serum HRTE remained elevated in 2 steroid-resistant patients whose grafts were lost to rejection. Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity without rejection was confirmed in 6 episodes, each of which demonstrated a more than two-fold increase in HRTE 2-4 days before toxicity was diagnosed. When the cyclosporine dose was reduced, the antigen level decreased as the serum creatinine declined. Serial determinations of serum HRTE in renal transplant recipients can provide valuable information for the early diagnosis and management of allograft rejection and cyclosporine nephrotoxicity.     

Radioimmunoassay for urinary renal tubular antigen: a potential marker of tubular injury.

A human proximal renal tubular epithelial antigen (designated HRTE-1) was isolated and purified from a crude tubular preparation (Fx1A) by a process of salt fractionation, DEAE anion-exchange chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration. Utilizing 125I-HRTE-1 and a rabbit antiserum specific for the proximal tubular brush border, as determined by immunofluorescent microscopy, a radioimmunoassay by competitive protein-binding was developed. HRTE-1 was demonstrated in serum and urine and in extracts of a variety of body organs. A range of concentrations for normal random urine samples and 24-hr urine excretion rates were determined. Random urine samples from 36 patients with a variety of functional and pathologic renal disorders were assayed for the HRTE-1 antigen. Twenty-three of 24 patients with either chronic nephropathy or pre-renal azotemia had normal urinary antigen concentrations, despite wide differences in urine flow rates, the degree of existing renal function, and the amount of proteinuria. Ten of 12 patients with acute tubular necrosis, however, had statistically abnormal HRTE-1 concentrations (high in eight patients, undetectable in two). These findings suggest that HRTE-1 antigen can be detected in both normal and pathologic urines, that altered antigen concentrations can be documented in at least one renal disorder, and that quantitation of HRTE-1 in urine may have clinical value as a marker of acute rubular injury.     

Calcineurin inhibitors and proximal renal tubular injury in renal transplant patients with proteinuria and chronic allograft nephropathy

BACKGROUND: Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is commonly associated with proteinuria. In native nephropathies, proteinuria is linked with proximal renal tubular damage. This study uses regression analysis to link proteinuria with urinary N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase (NAG) as a marker of tubular injury or hyperfunction in renal transplant patients. METHODS: Proteinuria and urinary NAG were measured and regression analysis applied in 105 transplant patients (42 with CAN). Most were receiving calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppression (cyclosporine, n=60; tacrolimus, n=26; and neither drug, n=19). Patients with native nephropathies (n=96) and volunteers (n=21) were also studied. RESULTS: Urinary NAG increased with increasing proteinuria. However, patients taking calcineurin inhibitors had higher urinary NAG at any level of urinary protein than those on alternative therapy, or in native nephropathies. CONCLUSIONS: In groups of transplant patients taking different immunosuppressive regimens, regression analysis of urinary NAG against urinary protein can identify the separate effects of drug-related tubular injury or hyperfunction from that of proteinuria.     

微小病变患者尿蛋白对肾小管上皮细胞的损伤作用及其机制研究

目的探讨尿蛋白对肾小管损伤的途径及加重肾脏病变的相关机制.方法用硫酸铵沉淀法提取肾小球微小病变患者尿液中的总蛋白成分.体外培养人近端肾小管上皮细胞系HK-2细胞.用3H-TdR掺入法测定细胞增殖水平,Western blot方法检测细胞合成单核细胞趋化因子(MCP-1)及α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-SMA)水平,RT-PCR检测细胞TGF-β mRNA表达,间接竞争ELISA检测细胞上清的纤连蛋白(FN)水平.结果(1)提取的尿蛋白主要成分为白蛋白、转铁蛋白和IgG,分别是84.5%、8.0%和1.2%.(2)0.2～10 mg/ml浓度的尿蛋白能刺激HK-2细胞增殖,为对照组的3.33～8.59倍(P＜0.01～0.001).(3)在0.5～5 mg/ml浓度的尿蛋白作用下,HK-2细胞分泌FN也明显高于对照组(P＜0.001),5 mg/ml时的作用最强,为对照组的(2.908±0.544)倍.(4)尿蛋白还诱导HK-2细胞合成MCP-1、α-SMA蛋白及上调表达TGF-β mRNA,当浓度为5～10 mg/ml时其作用最强.(5)TGF-β1中和抗体在浓度为1～2 μg/ml时可部分阻断尿蛋白(5 mg/m1)对HK-2细胞FN分泌和MCP-1蛋白合成的刺激作用.结论人类微小病变来源的尿蛋白可刺激人近端肾小管上皮细胞增殖、分泌细胞外基质蛋白、合成炎症趋化因子,诱导肾小管细胞发生以α-SMA为标志物的表型转化.这一效应部分通过TGF-β1的介导作用.这可能在蛋白尿诱导的肾小管间质损伤和肾脏病进展中起重要作用.     

Study on the assay of proximal tubular antigen in urine and serum with an anti-human renal monoclonal antibody]

Monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were produced by immunizing mice with human kidney microsomal antigen. Mab-B1 recognized brushborder (B1-Ag) in proximal tubules. Using Mab-B1, B1-Ag was assayed in the urine and serum of renal disease patients by sandwich ELISA. The subjects included normal control (Nor), minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), IgA nephropathy (IgA), membranous nephropathy (MN), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and chronic renal failure (CRF) (s-Cr greater than 2 mg/dl). Urinary B1-Ag demonstrated significant increases in the IgA (p less than 0.001), MN (p less than 0.001), MPGN (p less than 0.001) and CRF (p less than 0.01) groups as compared to the Nor group. There was no significant increase in the MCNS group. In the CRF group, B1-Ag in urine showed a significant increase in the progressive CRF group with delta s-Cr greater than 1.0 mg/dl/month as compared to the stationary CRF group with delta s-Cr less than 1.0 mg/dl/month. No correlation was observed between urinary B1-Ag and proteinuria, hematuria, s-Cr, s-BMG and u-NAG. The above findings suggested that the assay of urinary B1-Ag was useful as a new parameter in detecting the site and degree of proximal tubular damage.     

Autophagy is cytoprotective during cisplatin injury of renal proximal tubular cells

Autophagy is a cellular process of bulk degradation of damaged organelles, protein aggregates and other macromolecules in the cytoplasm. It is thought to be a general response to stress contributing to cell death; alternatively it might act as a cytoprotective mechanism. Here we found that administration of cisplatin induced the formation of autophagic vesicles and autophagosomes in mouse kidneys. In cultured proximal tubular cells, the nephrotoxin caused autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner prior to apoptosis. Notably, autophagy occurred within hours of cisplatin administration but this was partially suppressed by the p53 inhibitor pifithrin-alpha, suggesting that p53 is involved in autophagic signaling. This cisplatin-induced autophagy was attenuated in renal cells stably transfected with Bcl-2, suggesting an anti-autophagic role for this well-known anti-apoptotic protein. Blockade of autophagy with pharmacological inhibitors (3-methyladenine or bafilomycin) or shRNA knockdown of the autophagic gene Beclin increased tubular cell apoptosis during cisplatin treatment. Our study has found that autophagy occurs in acute kidney injury and this may be an important protective mechanism for cell survival.     

Correlation of acute tubular injury in reperfusion biopsy with renal transplant outcomes

Acute tubular injury (ATI) is common at reperfusion, but its relationship to graft outcomes is unclear. Prior studies lack standardization of morphological assessments and included elements of acute and chronic tubular injury. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ATI on graft outcomes. Reperfusion biopsies from 2004 to 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. ATI was assessed by a new standardized scoring system. We also assessed chronic injury (CI) by the Banff criteria. Outcomes evaluated included glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 1 and 5 years and delayed graft function (DGF), acute rejection (AR), graft and patient survival. ATI did not correlate with DGF, AR, graft or overall survival. Mild–moderate ATI was not predictive of GFR post‐transplant. Moderate–severe CI was associated with lower GFR at 5 years with a mean difference of ?7.14 mL/min/1.73 m² (P=.04) and overall survival (HR 2.44, P=.01). Other predictors of graft function included donor age, DGF, and AR. Histologic criteria of ATI at implantation in the absence of donor demographics or clinical information do not provide sufficient predictability in outcomes after transplantation. On the other hand, histologic assessment of CI correlates with GFR and overall survival.     

Use of the urinary protein creatinine index to assess proteinuria in renal transplant patients.

The use of 24-h urine protein collections for the assessment of proteinuria in renal transplant patients has been compared with the protein creatinine index (PCI) obtained from spot urine samples. Paired data from 148 patients showed a correlation of 0.77 (P less than 0.001) between 24-h protein excretion and the PCI. A PCI of 750 identified proteinuria of greater than 1.0 g/24 h with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 93%. The predictive value of a positive test was 81% and that of a negative test 96%. Similar performance was observed for the detection of proteinuria of differing severities ranging from 0.5 g/24 h to 2.0 g/24 h. The use of spot testing was popular with both patients and staff, and reduced the sample handling cost to 15% of that of 24-h urine collection. We recommend that PCI be adopted as the standard outpatient test for the assessment of proteinuria following renal transplantation.     

What is the underlying defect in patients with isolated, proximal renal tubular acidosis?

Our aim in this article is to propose a new hypothesis concerning the etiology of renal tubular acidosis (RTA) in that subgroup of patients who have the isolated, primary type of proximal RTA. We suggest that their underlying disorder is a more alkaline intracellular pH of the proximal convoluted tubule. Increased alkalinity of proximal tubular cells would explain the low rate of bicarbonate reabsorption per liter glomerular filtration and the decreased rate of ammonium excretion despite a low urine pH and the presence of chronic metabolic acidosis. Additional diagnostic tests to evaluate this hypothesis in this specific subgroup of patients with proximal RTA are also outlined.     

Kidney injury molecule-1, a sensitive and specific marker for identifying acute proximal tubular injury,can be used to predict renal functional recovery in native renal biopsies

International Urology and Nephrology - Kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) staining has been shown to be very useful in identifying acute proximal tubular injury, but its sensitivity, specificity and...     

Urinary excretion of proteins and tubular enzymes in renal transplant patients

The aim of this study was to evaluate, in renal transplant recipients with different function of the graft, the urinary excretion of some low molecular weight proteins and tubular enzymes frequently employed as indicators of tubular dysfunction.

Urinary excretion of proteins and enzymes was measured in 51 renal transplant patients and, for comparison, in 73 patients affected by different kidney diseases with various degrees of renal function.

Values of urinary β2-microglobulin and retinol-binding protein higher than normal were found in most transplanted patients, even in those with good renal function. On the other hand, in renal patients the urinary excretion of low molecular weight proteins was high only when creatinine clearance was lower than 30 mL/min/1.73 m². Furthermore, an increased urinary excretion of tubular enzymes was found in a higher number of transplanted patients than of renal patients. This behavior was particularly evident for lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase.

In conclusion, a tubular dysfunction occurs in the transplanted kidneys, even in those with well preserved glomerular function.     

Isolated urinary aspergillosis in a renal transplant recipient

Key words: Aspergillus fumigatus; kidney transplantation; papillary necrosis      

尿中性肽链内切酶的检测及其在诊断肾小管损伤中意义

目的 建立尿中性肽链内切酶(NEP)浓度的检测方法并结合临床,探讨它与肾小管损伤的关系。方法 将研究组分为对照组(n=100),单纯肾小球疾病组(n=31)、急性肾小管损伤组(n=44)、慢性肾小管损伤组(n=48)、马兜铃酸肾病组(n=13)、慢性肾功能衰竭(CRF)组(n=13)。收集各组患者晨尿,用荧光光谱分析法测得尿NEP的浓度,并用相应尿肌酐值予以标化。同时检测各组患者的尿微量蛋白。结果 急性肾小管损伤组尿NEP明显高于正常对照组(P=0.0001),慢性肾小管损伤组、马兜铃酸肾病组、CRF组尿NEP均明显低于正常对照组(P均<0.01),而单纯肾小球疾病组尿NEP与正常对照组无差异(P=0.142 5)。在急性组尿NEP与尿NAG成正相关,与其他几种尿微量蛋白间无相关性。在其他几组内,尿NEP与Ccr成正相关,与尿微量蛋白成负相关。在肾小球疾病组内尿NEP与尿微量蛋白无明显相关性。结论 本研究在国内率先建立了尿NEP的检测方法,并用于临床研究。对尿中NEP的检测,提供了一种快速、非损伤性测量手段,籍此帮助判断近端肾小管损伤,结合其他小管损伤的指标可以帮助判断病程。     

Serum and urinary neopterin as markers in renal transplant patients

For monitoring neopterin levels, serial serum and urinary samples were obtained from 21 renal transplant patients. In renal transplant patients, serum neopterin levels were significantly higher than in healthy volunteers, even though in a clinically stable state urinary neopterin levels were also higher than in healthy volunteers, but statistically not significantly. In cases with rejection, both serum and urinary neopterin levels were significantly more elevated than in the stable state. In contrast, serum and urinary neopterin levels were not clevated in nephrotoxicity events. These results suggest that serum and urinary neopterin levels might be valuable indicators of acute rejection. Moreover, they could be useful for differentiating acute rejection from nephrotoxicity episode.     

Therapeutic implication of quantitative pp65 antigen assay in living renal transplant in a high seroendemic population

Various methods have been used to diagnose cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease; however, pp65 antigenemia assay has emerged as a good marker for CMV disease in a high seroendemic population. We studied the role of quantitative pp65 antigen assay in live related renal transplant recipients in a high seroendemic population. Between November 1998 and May 2003, a total of 350 blood samples from 250 symptomatic patients were tested by quantitative pp65 antigen assay; 14% of the patients tested positive. There were 5 (14%) low-positive and 30 (86%) high-positive patients. All high-positive patients had CMV disease. The response to antiviral therapy monitored by the assay was dramatic, and one low-positive patient responded to reduction in immunosuppression. In conclusion, pp65 antigen assay is a good test for diagnosing CMV disease and monitoring response to antiviral therapy in a high seroendemic population.