Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Impact of Donor-Specific Alloantibodies After Adult Liver Transplantation.

The incidence and impact of anti-human leukocyte antigen donor-specific alloantibodies (DSAs) developing after liver transplantation (LT) remains controversial and not extensively studied. The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence of DSAs, to identify risk factors for the development of DSAs, and to understand the impact of DSAs in a large population of adult LT recipients. This single-center retrospective study included all adult patients who underwent a first LT between 2000 and 2010 in our center. The study population mainly consisted of male patients, the mean age was 52.4 years, and the main indication was alcoholic cirrhosis (54.1%). From the 297 patients included in the cross-sectional study, 14 (4.7%) had preformed DSAs, and 59 (19.9%) presented de novo DSAs (12.2% at 1 year, 13.4% at 5 years, and 19.5% at 10 years). Multivariate analysis found that female donor sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.01; P = 0.01) and delay between LT and DSA screening (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.20; P = 0.03) were associated with occurrence of de novo DSAs. From the 190 patients included in the subgroup longitudinal analysis, exposure to tacrolimus (mean trough level during the periods 0-2 years and 0-3 years) was significantly lower for patients having DSAs at 5 years. Concerning histology, only acute rejection (P = 0.04) and portal fibrosis ≥2 (P = 0.02) were more frequent at 1 year for patients with DSAs. Patient survival and graft survival were not significantly different according to the presence or not of DSAs at 1 year. Among the 44 patients who had de novo or persistent preformed DSAs, the diagnosis of antibody-mediated rejection was made in 4 (9.1%) patients after 1, 47, 61, and 74 months following LT. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that DSAs are observed in a minority of LT adult patients, with limited overall impact on graft and patient outcome.

HLA-DRB3/4/5 mismatches are associated with increased risk of acute GVHD in 10/10 matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Matching for HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 loci (8/8 match) is currently the gold standard for unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). In Europe, patients are also matched at the HLA-DQB1 loci (10/10 match). However, there is increasing evidence that matching at HLA-DRB3/4/5 loci may help to lower transplant-related morbidity and mortality. We therefore investigated the impact of HLA-DRB3/4/5 mismatches on outcomes in 1975 patients who received a first 10/10 matched unrelated donor (MUD) HCT in France from 2000 to 2012 for a hematological malignancy. High-resolution typing was performed at HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1, -DPB1, and -DRB3/4/5 loci for all donor/recipient pairs. Compared with DRB3/4/5-matched pairs, patients who received a MUD HCT from a DRB3/4/5 mismatched donor had a significantly increased risk of grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.43 (1.07 to 1.90)) associated with lower graft-versus-host disease-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS) (Adjusted HR 1.20 (1.02 to 1.42)). Conversely, we observed no differences in terms of chronic GVHD, nonrelapse mortality, relapse and overall survival. However, we believe that patients stand to benefit from DRB3/4/5 loci being considered for unrelated donor selection to improve GRFS and then quality of life after unrelated HCT.

Computer-assisted topological analysis of renal allograft inflammation adds to risk evaluation at diagnosis of humoral rejection.

Antibody-mediated rejection is associated with heterogeneous kidney allograft outcomes. Accurate evaluation of risk for graft loss at time of diagnosis is necessary to offer personalized treatment. In contrast with serological and molecular assessment, morpho-histological evaluation of antibody-mediated rejection lesions has not significantly evolved. This relies on Banff classifications designed to be of diagnostic discriminatory power rather than prognostic and face quantitative and qualitative limitations. Here we developed a method of Computer-assisted Analysis of Graft Inflammation (CAGI) to improve the classification of allograft inflammation. Digitization of immunostained biopsy sections, image processing and algorithm-driven analysis allowed quantification of macrophages, T cells, B cells, and granulocytes per unit surface of interstitium, capillaries or glomeruli. CAGI was performed on biopsy specimens of 52 patients with extensively phenotyped antibody-mediated rejection. Macrophage numbers in capillaries and interstitium, but not Banff scores or the amount of other immune cell subsets, correlated with donor-specific antibody (DSA) mean fluorescence intensity and DSA-C3d status. The quantity of macrophages in the interstitium and DSA-C3d status were the only independent predictors for significant allograft loss at the time of antibody-mediated rejection diagnosis (hazard ratio 3.71 and 2.34, respectively). A significant strategy integrating the DSA-C3d assay and the quantification of interstitial macrophages allowed identification of three groups with distinct renal prognosis: DSA-C3d-, DSA-C3d+/macrophages-low and DSAC3d+/macrophages-high. Thus, CAGI brings a missing piece to the antibody-mediated rejection puzzle by identifying morpho-histological processes that bridge in vitro parameters of DSA pathogenicity and graft loss. Hence, this approach could be useful in future integrated strategies of risk evaluation.

Detection of C3d-binding donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies at diagnosis of humoral rejection predicts renal graft loss.

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major cause of kidney graft loss, yet assessment of individual risk at diagnosis is impeded by the lack of a reliable prognosis assay. Here, we tested whether the capacity of anti-HLA antibodies to bind complement components allows accurate risk stratification at the time of AMR diagnosis. Among 938 kidney transplant recipients for whom a graft biopsy was performed between 2004 and 2012 at the Lyon University Hospitals, 69 fulfilled the diagnosis criteria for AMR and were enrolled. Sera banked at the time of the biopsy were screened for the presence of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs) and their ability to bind C1q and C3d using flow bead assays. In contrast with C4d graft deposition, the presence of C3d-binding DSA was associated with a higher risk of graft loss (P<0.001). Despite similar trend, the difference did not reach significance with a C1q-binding assay (P=0.06). The prognostic value of a C3d-binding assay was further confirmed in an independent cohort of 39 patients with AMR (P=0.04). Patients with C3d-binding antibodies had worse eGFR and higher DSA mean fluorescence intensity. In a multivariate analysis, only eGFR <30 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) (hazard ratio [HR], 3.56; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46 to 8.70; P=0.005) and the presence of circulating C3d-binding DSA (HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.12 to 6.95; P=0.03) were independent predictors for allograft loss at AMR diagnosis. We conclude that assessment of the C3d-binding capacity of DSA at the time of AMR diagnosis allows for identification of patients at risk for allograft loss.

Highly Variable Sialylation Status of Donor-Specific Antibodies Does Not Impact Humoral Rejection Outcomes.

Clinical outcome in antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) shows high inter-individual heterogeneity. Sialylation status of the Fc fragment of IgGs is variable, which could modulate their ability to bind to C1q and/or Fc receptors. In this translational study, we evaluated whether DSA sialylation influence AMR outcomes. Among 938 kidney transplant recipients for whom a graft biopsy was performed between 2004 and 2012 at Lyon University Hospitals, 69 fulfilled the diagnosis criteria for AMR and were enrolled. Sera banked at the time of the biopsy were screened for the presence of DSA by Luminex. The sialylation status of total IgG and DSA was quantified using Sambucus nigra agglutinin-based chromatography. All patients had similar levels of sialylation of serum IgGs (~2%). In contrast, the proportion of sialylated DSA were highly variable (median = 9%; range = 0-100%), allowing to distribute the patients in two groups: high DSA sialylation (n = 44; 64%) and low DSA sialylation (n = 25; 36%). The two groups differed neither on the intensity of rejection lesions (C4d, ptc, and g; p > 0.05) nor on graft survival rates (Log rank test, p = 0.99). in vitro models confirmed the lack of impact of Fc sialylation on the ability of a monoclonal antibody to trigger classical complement cascade and activate NK cells. We conclude that DSA sialylation status is highly variable but has not impact on DSA pathogenicity and AMR outcome.

Missing self triggers NK cell-mediated chronic vascular rejection of solid organ transplants.

Current doctrine is that microvascular inflammation (MVI) triggered by a transplant -recipient antibody response against alloantigens (antibody-mediated rejection) is the main cause of graft failure. Here, we show that histological lesions are not mediated by antibodies in approximately half the participants in a cohort of 129 renal recipients with MVI on graft biopsy. Genetic analysis of these patients shows a higher prevalence of mismatches between donor HLA I and recipient inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). Human in vitro models and transplantation of ß2-microglobulin-deficient hearts into wild-type mice demonstrates that the inability of graft endothelial cells to provide HLA I-mediated inhibitory signals to recipient circulating NK cells triggers their activation, which in turn promotes endothelial damage. Missing self-induced NK cell activation is mTORC1-dependent and the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin can prevent the development of this type of chronic vascular rejection.

Endothelial chimerism and vascular sequestration protect pancreatic islet grafts from antibody-mediated rejection.

Humoral rejection is the most common cause of solid organ transplant failure. Here, we evaluated a cohort of 49 patients who were successfully grafted with allogenic islets and determined that the appearance of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSAs) did not accelerate the rate of islet graft attrition, suggesting resistance to humoral rejection. Murine DSAs bound to allogeneic targets expressed by islet cells and induced their destruction in vitro; however, passive transfer of the same DSAs did not affect islet graft survival in murine models. Live imaging revealed that DSAs were sequestrated in the circulation of the recipients and failed to reach the endocrine cells of grafted islets. We used murine heart transplantation models to confirm that endothelial cells were the only accessible targets for DSAs, which induced the development of typical microvascular lesions in allogeneic transplants. In contrast, the vasculature of DSA-exposed allogeneic islet grafts was devoid of lesions because sprouting of recipient capillaries reestablished blood flow in grafted islets. Thus, we conclude that endothelial chimerism combined with vascular sequestration of DSAs protects islet grafts from humoral rejection. The reduced immunoglobulin concentrations in the interstitial tissue, confirmed in patients, may have important implications for biotherapies such as vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.

Deleterious impact of C3d-binding donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies after pediatric liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and clinical impact of anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSA) after liver transplantation (LT) have not been extensively studied, especially in pediatric population. METHODS: The present cross-sectional study included 100 patients who underwent a first LT in childhood. Anti HLA immunization study was performed at a single time point during routine follow-up using Luminex® single antigen tests with classical anti-IgG conjugate and anti-C3d conjugate. RESULTS: The main indication for LT was biliary atresia (52%) and median age at LT was 4.6years. The median time between LT and DSA assessment was 7.8years (range 1-21years). DSA was identified in twenty-four patients (24%) after LT, with a prevalence of 8%, 28%, 33%, 50%, respectively 0-5years, 5-10years, 10-15years and >15years after LT. DSA were mainly class II (23/24) with a mean MFI of 9.731±5.489 and 18 (79.3%) were C3d-binding DSA. Multivariate analysis disclosed that time elapsed since LT (p<0.01) and history of fulminant hepatitis (p=0.04) were significantly associated with a higher rate of DSA. Liver function tests (at time of DSA assessment) were not different according to the presence or not of DSA (or C3d-binding DSA). Regarding histology, the DSA group had a higher rate of chronic rejection, cirrhosis and centrilobular fibrosis or cirrhosis. In addition, patients with C3d-binding DSA and high MFI (>10,000) had a significant poorer long-term graft survival (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: In our pediatric cohort of LT, prevalence of DSA was high and increased regularly with time. Presence of C3d positive-DSA with high MFI was associated with a higher rate of graft loss.

Monitoring efficiency of humoral rejection episode therapy in liver transplantation: any role for complement binding Luminex Single Antigen assays?

Humoral rejection and its relationship with anti HLA antibodies have been extensively studied in organ transplantation with the exception of liver transplantation (LT). Recently, association between donor specific anti HLA antibodies (DSA) and increased risk of rejection and graft loss has been suggested in LT. When such antibodies appear, adequate treatment and monitoring are needed to avoid or delay allograft loss. We report here three cases of probable antibody-mediated rejection developed after pregnancy in liver transplanted women. Sera at the time of rejection and during follow-up have been retrospectively tested for the ability of DSA to bind complement components. These cases display different outcomes depending on the complement binding DSA capacity and titers after treatment of the rejection episodes. Thus, they highlight the potential interest of complement binding Luminex Single Antigen assays to monitor the efficiency of anti-rejection therapy.