Prevalence and clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and clinical significance of antiphospholipid antibodies (APAs) have not been extensively studied in non-systemic lupus erythematosus (non-SLE) renal transplant recipients. METHODS: To further define the prevalence and clinical significance of APAs in non-SLE renal transplant recipients and the appearance of dialysis-related APAs after renal transplantation, we conducted a retrospective study on 178 renal transplant recipients. Documentation of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) and lupus anticoagulant in non-SLE renal transplant recipients, retrospective documentation of ACAs on pretransplant frozen plasma and standardized collection of demographic characteristics and posttransplant history of thrombosis were assessed. RESULTS: Fifty of 178 patients (28.1%) had APAs. Transplant duration was shorter and hemodialysis duration was longer in patients with APAs. A posttransplant history of both venous and arterial thrombosis was more frequent in patients with posttransplant APAs (respectively, 18% vs. 6.2% [P<0.001] and 8% vs. 2.3% [P<0.001]). Pretransplant sera were available from 55 patients. Most of patients with posttransplant ACAs had ACAs in the pretransplant period (85%). Pretransplant ACAs were associated with a posttransplant history of venous thrombosis (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of APAs in non-SLE renal transplant recipients. Most of them have been acquired in the pretransplant period. Both pretransplant ACAs and posttransplant APAs are associated with posttransplant episodes of thrombosis. Further studies are required to determine the interest of prophylactic measures.