Immune modulation with extracorporeal photopheresis in renal transplantation: proof of concept clinical outcomes and perspective / Immunomodulation par photo-chimiothérapie extracorporelle en transplantation rénale : preuves de concept, données cliniques et perspectives

For 30 years, photopheresis is used to treat graft versus host disease and heart or lung allograft rejection. In this review, we discuss the place of photopheresis in kidney transplantation both in prevention or treatment of rejection. Mechanisms of action in kidney transplantation are mainly based on results observed in graft versus host disease and in heart or lung transplantation. Photopheresis may induce innate and adaptive immunity changes with restauration of a favourable Th1/Th2 immune balance, an expansion of LT /LB reg subsets, and a local enrichment in IL-10. French national clinical and mechanistic studies are underway to define the place of photopheresis therapy in immunomodulation strategies in kidney transplantation.

Depuis presque 30 ans, l'utilisation de la photo-chimiothérapie (PEC) a montré son efficacité dans le contrôle de la maladie du greffon contre l'hôte et dans le traitement du rejet d'allogreffe cardiaque et pulmonaire. L'utilisation de la PEC en transplantation rénale pourrait apporter un bénéfice thérapeutique sans majoration du risque infectieux ou oncologique, tant en prévention que dans le traitement du rejet. Il existe peu de données sur les mécanismes d'action de la PEC, les principales hypothèses reposant sur les résultats observés dans la maladie du greffon contre l'hôte ou en transplantation cardiaque et pulmonaire. La PEC induirait des modifications de l'immunité innée et adaptative dont la restauration d'un équilibre de la balance Th1/Th2 et une expansion des sous-populations LT/B régulatrices ainsi qu'une modification de l'environnement cytokinique avec enrichissement en IL-10. En France, des études cliniques et mécanistiques sont en cours pour affiner la place de la PEC dans les stratégies d'immunomodulation en transplantation rénale.

The Versatile Role of miR-21 in Renal Homeostasis and Diseases.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA species that control gene expression and confer robustness to biological processes. Over the last two decades, their important roles during kidney development, homeostasis and the treatment of diseases have been established, in particular during the onset and progression of various forms of acute and chronic renal disorders. In recent years, miR-21, one of the best-characterized miRNAs to date, has received much attention in renal physiology in particular given its high degree of conservation and expression in kidneys, as well as its potent pathogenic role in various debilitating renal diseases. This review summarizes the current knowledge on miR-21's involvement in both renal homeostasis and diseases, in particular its double-edged-sword role in acute versus chronic kidney injuries. Finally, we also discuss the potential of miR-21 as a biomarker and therapeutic target in renal diseases.

Successful Reuse of Kidney Graft After Early Recurrence of Primary Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis.

Primary focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) frequently recurs after transplantation and is associated with a poor prognosis. We describe here the successful kidney graft reuse in an adult recipient, 8 months after early primary FSGS recurrence resistant to all available therapeutics. Patient 1, a 23-year-old man, followed for kidney failure secondary to primary FSGS, was first transplanted in 2018 with a deceased donor graft. Unfortunately, we observed an immediate recurrence of biopsy-proven primary FSGS. After 4 lines of treatment (intravenous cyclosporine+corticosteroids, plasma exchanges, immunoadsorption, and rituximab), the patient was still highly nephrotic and kidney function was slowly deteriorating. After approval from both the patient and the health authority (Biomedicine Agency), the graft was detransplanted 8 months after transplantation and reimplanted in patient 2, a 78-year-old nonimmunized and anephric recipient (bi-nephrectomy 2 years previously for bilateral renal carcinoma). We observed immediate kidney function and progressive resolution of proteinuria (serum creatinine of 1.2mg/dL and proteinuria of 0.1 g/d 1 year later). Biopsies performed after surgery showed persistent FSGS lesions with a decrease in overall foot-process effacement. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case showing that kidney graft transfer may still be a viable option for refractory primary FSGS several months after transplantation.

Association between acute graft pyelonephritis and kidney graft survival: A single-center observational study.

The association between acute graft pyelonephritis (AGPN) and graft failure in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) remains controversial. In this single-center observational study, we aimed to assess the incidence of AGPN as a time-dependent posttransplantation event. We also examined the association between the diagnosis of AGPN and graft outcomes. In total, we evaluated 1480 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between January 2007 and December 2017. During a median follow-up of 5.04 years, we observed 297 AGPN episodes that occurred in 158 KTR. To evaluate the association between AGPN and clinical outcomes, we performed Cox proportional hazards regression analyses in which AGPN was entered as a time-dependent covariate. AGPN was independently associated with an increased risk of graft loss (hazard ratio = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-2.64, p < .03) and a persistently decreased eGFR (fixed effect on intercept: -2.29 ml/min/1.73 m2 ; 95% CI: from -3.23 to -1.35, p < .01). However, neither mortality nor biopsy-proven acute rejection was found to correlate with AGPN. Moreover, recurrent AGPN episodes did not appear to have an additive detrimental impact on graft loss. These data represent a promising step in understanding whether AGPN prevention may decrease the risk of graft loss in KTR.

Organ Transplantation in Hereditary Fibrinogen A α-Chain Amyloidosis: A Case Series of French Patients.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Fibrinogen A α-chain amyloidosis (AFib amyloidosis) is a form of amyloidosis resulting from mutations in the fibrinogen A α-chain gene (FGA), causing progressive kidney disease leading to kidney failure. Treatment may include kidney transplantation (KT) or liver-kidney transplantation (LKT), but it is not clear what factors should guide this decision. The aim of this study was to characterize the natural history and long-term outcomes of this disease, with and without organ transplantation, among patients with AFib amyloidosis and various FGA variants. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 32 patients with AFib amyloidosis diagnosed by genetic testing in France between 1983 and 2014, with a median follow-up of 93 (range, 4-192) months, were included. RESULTS: Median age at diagnosis was 51.5 (range, 12-77) years. Clinical presentation consisted of proteinuria (93%), hypertension (83%), and kidney failure (68%). Manifestations of kidney disease appeared on average at age 57 (range, 36-77) years in patients with the E526V variant, at age 45 (range, 12-59) years in those with the R554L variant (P<0.001), and at age 24.5 (range, 12-31) years in those with frameshift variants (P<0.001). KT was performed in 15 patients and LKT was performed in 4. In KT patients with the E526V variant, recurrence of AFib amyloidosis in the kidney graft was less common than with a non-E526V (R554L or frameshift) variant (22% vs 83%; P=0.03) and led to graft loss less frequently (33% vs 100%). Amyloid recurrence was not observed in patients after LKT. LIMITATIONS: Analyses were based on clinically available historical data. Small number of patients with non-E526V and frameshift variants. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests phenotypic variability in the natural history of AFib amyloidosis, depending on the FGA mutation type. KT appears to be a viable option for patients with the most common E526V variant, whereas LKT may be a preferred option for patients with frameshift variants.

The concurrent administration of imatinib with extracorporeal photopheresis leads to complete and durable responses in patients with refractory sclerotic type chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Therapeutic options are limited for patients developing refractory sclerotic-type chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. We previously showed that imatinib mesylate (IM) could be efficacious in this situation, although complete responses were uncommon (Magro L Blood 2009). We hypothesized that the combination of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) and IM could have synergistic effects to treat SR steroid-refractory cGVHD. While IM and ECP are separately used for the treatment of refractory cGVHD, the combination of both has never been investigated. We describe here the efficacy of the concurrent administration of IM with ECP in seven patients with refractory sclerotic-type cGVHD who had showed insufficient response to either IM or ECP. Seven consecutive patients (3 males and 4 females) with a median age of 46 years old, who received imatinib with concurrent ECP for refractory sclerotic-type cGVHD, were included. Patients were considered refractory if they were steroid-refractory or steroid-dependent. Four patients had previously showed insufficient partial response (PR) to IM, while three patients showed insufficient PR while receiving ECP. IM was started at 200 mg/day and increased to 400 mg/day if well-tolerated. ECP was initiated twice weekly then less frequently according to the patient's individual treatment response. With a median follow-up of 56 months, the concurrent administration of IM with ECP deepened responses in all patients and induced durable complete responses (CR) in 4 (57%). Median time to best response was 4 months. Median duration of combination treatment was 42 months (range: 4-60). As of February 2018, 5 patients were still alive. Two patients died of myocardial infarction and one from relapse of a preexisting prostate cancer. The concurrent administration of IM with ECP led to complete and sustained responses in patients with refractory sclerotic-type cGVHD.

Rheopheresis: A new therapeutic approach in severe calciphylaxis.

AIM: Uremic calciphylaxis, also called calcific uraemic arteriolopathy (CUA), is a rare disease with a poor prognosis (mortality between 45% and 80%). Treatment is currently not standardized, and is based mainly on risk factor control, often with administration of sodium thiosulfate. We report the use of rheopheresis, a double filtration apheresis technique, specifically designed to improve blood rheology and tissue perfusion, as adjunctive therapy in eight patients with severe CUA. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed eight cases of severe CUA treated by rheopheresis after failure of conventional measures, including administration of sodium thiosulfate and discontinuation of vitamin K antagonists. RESULTS: Of the patients, there were 5 (63%) women, the median age was 69 (63.9-73) years. Four (50%) patients had biopsy-proven CUA. At diagnosis, the median dialysis vintage was 35 (3.9-42) months; five (63%) patients were anuric. Weekly median dialysis duration and dose were 12 (12-12.75) hours and 1.19 (1.13-1.48) Kt/V per dialysis session, respectively. Median time from CUA onset to first rheopheresis therapy was 26 (3.2-68) days. Patients started with 2-3 weekly sessions, coupled with haemodialysis. Complete remission was obtained in five patients (66%) after 25 (19-39) sessions over a duration of 119 (114-196) days. Three patients died, two of which resulted from an infectious complication related to CUA. CONCLUSION: Rheopheresis is a promising approach, with a good safety profile, for the treatment of CUA. A prospective study with a larger population, would clarify its place in the therapeutic armamentarium.

Description of a transient proximal tubulopathy induced by amino acids perfusion in peptide receptor radionuclide therapy: A case report.

RATIONALE: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) with radiolabeled somatostatin analogs is a targeted internal radiotherapy method used to treat tumors expressing somatostatin receptors. Concomitant amino acids perfusion is systematically performed in order to inhibit the proximal tubular uptake of the radionuclide and thus prevent nephrotoxicity. PATIENT CONCERNS:: a 67-year-old woman with an intestinal neuroendocrine tumor with multiple lymphadenopathies and liver metastases. The patient displayed a carcinoid syndrome with flushes including facial erythrosis and paresthesia. During the treatment, the patient exhibited emesis and severe cramps. DIAGNOSIS: We describe incomplete proximal tubulopathy induced by an amino acid therapy with [177Lu]-DOTA0-Tyr3-octreotate, which was reversible after treatment discontinuation. This diagnosis relies on metabolic acidosis, hypophosphatemia due to renal loss, tubular proteinuria and generalized aminoaciduria. Serum creatinine remained stable during and after the procedure. INTERVENTIONS: PRRT with radiolabeled somatostatin analog ([177Lu]-DOTA0-Tyr3-octreotate). In order to prevent PRRT induced nephrotoxicity, we used a solution of 20 amino acids including 22 g/L Lysine and 16.8 g/L Arginine. Metoclopramide was successfully used to control vomiting. During the treatment and at the time of cramps, the blood sample showed hypophosphatemia at 0.3 mmol/L justifying intravenous phosphate supplementation. The cramps disappeared after this infusion. OUTCOMES: Hypophosphatemia with low TmPO4/GFR was observed as well as an increase in ß2-microglobulinuria, urinary polyclonal light chains, and amino aciduria involving all amino acids. All these disturbances disappeared the day after the treatment and there was no acute kidney injury after 5 PRRT sessions. Six months after PRRT discontinuation, the patient had neither renal failure nor proximal tubulopathy. Aminoacid induced tubulopathy involves the main ligands of the megalin receptor. It has recently been demonstrated that cilastatin is a megalin inhibitor in the proximal tubule and therefore could represent an attractive alternative to amino acids for this purpose. LESSONS: This case report is a description of a nephroprotective strategy in which partial, and transient tubulopathy is induced, in order to decrease proximal absorption of a tubulotoxic molecule. This little known strategy could be used to prevent proximal tubular injury caused by others megalin-mediated nephrotoxicity medication.

[Kidney disease care for the elderly]. / Spécificités des néphropathies du sujet âgé.

In our aging population, kidney disease management needs to take into account the frailty of the elderly. Standardized geriatric assessments can be proposed to help clinicians apprehend this dimension in their daily practice. These tools allow to better identify frail patients and offer them more personalized and harmless treatments. This article aims to focus on the kidney diseases commonly observed in elderly patients and analyze their specific nephrogeriatric care modalities. It should be noticed that all known kidney diseases can be also observed in the elderly, most often with a quite similar clinical presentation. This review is thus focused on the diseases most frequently and most specifically observed in elderly patients (except for monoclonal gammopathy associated nephropathies, out of the scope of this work), as well as the peculiarities of old age nephrological care.

Extracorporeal photopheresis for the treatment of graft rejection in 33 adult kidney transplant recipients.

Background - Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) has shown encouraging results in the prevention of allograft rejection in heart transplantation. However, the role of ECP in kidney transplant (KT) rejection needs to be determined. Methods - This multicentre retrospective study included 33 KT recipients who were treated with ECP for allograft rejection (23 acute antibody-mediated rejections (AMRs), 2 chronic AMRs and 8 acute cellular rejections (ACRs)). The ECP indications were KT rejection in patients who were resistant to standard therapies (n = 18) or in patients for whom standard therapies were contraindicated because of concomitant infections or cancers (n = 15). Results - At 12 months (M12) post-ECP, 11 patients (33%) had a stabilization of kidney function with a graft survival rate of 61%. The Banff AMR score (g + ptc + v) was a risk factor for graft loss at M12 (HR 1.44 [1.01-2.05], p < 0.05). The factorial mixed data analysis identified 2 clusters. Patients with a functional graft at M12 tended to have cellular and/or chronic rejections. Patients with graft loss at M12 tended to have acute rejections and/or AMR; higher serum creatinine levels; DSA levels and histologic scores of AMR; and a longer delay between the rejection and ECP start than those of patients with functional grafts. Conclusions - ECP may be helpful to control ACR or moderate AMR in KT recipients presenting concomitant opportunistic infections or malignancies when it is initiated early.

Hypercalcemia is common during Pneumocystis pneumonia in kidney transplant recipients.

A few cases of hypercalcemia related to Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) have previously been described, supposedly associated with an 1α-hydroxylase enzyme-dependent mechanism. The prevalence and significance of hypercalcemia in PJP remain unclear, especially in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) who frequently display hypercalcemia via persisting hyperparathyroidism. We here retrospectively identified all microbiologically-proven PJP in adult KTR from 2005 to 2017 in the Lille University Hospital, and studied the mineral and bone metabolism parameters during the peri-infectious period. Clinical features of PJP-patients were analyzed according to their serum calcium level. Hypercalcemia (12.6 ± 1.6 mg/dl) was observed in 37% (18/49) of PJP-patients and regressed concomitantly to specific anti-infectious treatment in all cases. No other cause of hypercalcemia was identified. In hypercalcemic patients, serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were high at the time of PJP-diagnosis and decreased after anti-infectious treatment (124 ± 62 versus 28 ± 23 pg/mL, p = 0.006) while PTH serum levels followed an inverse curve (35 ± 34 versus 137 ± 99 pg/mL, p = 0.009), suggesting together a granuloma-mediated mechanism. Febrile dyspnea was less frequent in hypercalcemic PJP-patients compared to non-hypercalcemic (29 versus 67%). In summary, hypercalcemia seems common during PJP in KTR. Unexplained hypercalcemia could thus lead to specific investigations in this particular population, even in the absence of infectious or respiratory symptoms.

Renal Pathologic Findings in TAFRO Syndrome: Is There a Continuum Between Thrombotic Microangiopathy and Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis? A Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: TAFRO syndrome is a clinical subtype of idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD) that is characterized by thrombocytopenia, anasarca, fever and/or elevated serum C-reactive protein, renal dysfunction, and organomegaly. Case Presentation: A 28-year-old woman with fever, weight gain of 13 kgs, lower extremity edema, hepatosplenomegaly, and multicentric peripheral lymphadenopathy was referred to our center. Laboratory investigations revealed anemia, thrombocytopenia, creatinine at 1.19 mg/dL and hypoalbuminemia at 33 g/L. Proteinuria was measured at 2 g/day including albuminuria at 1.5 g/day. Urinary sediment examination found leukocyturia at 44,000/mL and hematuria at 645,000/mL. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level was elevated. A cervical lymph node biopsy found features consistent with the mixed histopathological subtype of iMCD. A renal biopsy revealed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) pattern. We initiated 3 days of methylprednisolone pulse-therapy at 1,000 mg per day, followed by prednisone 1 mg/kg/day and evolution was favorable. Review of Literature: 19 iMCD patients with TAFRO syndrome had undergone a renal biopsy: 8 cases with author's diagnosis consistent with MPGN-like and 11 cases of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)-like glomerulopathy without fibrin thrombi in glomerular capillaries or arterioles and without typical biological signs. Clinical, biological, and outcome characteristics were similar between the cases described as having MPGN and TMA-like presentation. After a thorough review of histopathological descriptions for each case, MPGN lesions seems to be the consequences of chronic glomerular endothelial injury in persistent TMA. We suspect that VEGF and IL-6 play a key role in the physiopathology of the spectrum of renal involvement from TMA-like to MPGN observed in TAFRO syndrome. Conclusion: We present a Caucasian iMCD patient with TAFRO syndrome with renal insufficiency secondary to MPGN, which might be secondary to a chronic TMA-like disease. We suspect that there is a continuum between TMA and MPGN lesions in TAFRO syndrome favored by VEGF and IL-6.