Mononuclear phagocytes and neutrophils play a key role in early responses against the transplanted kidney allograft. It is expected that during the reperfusion of kidney allograft, the myeloid cells are activated and shed some of the membrane molecules which can be thus detectable in serum. The sCD14 molecule is a marker of monocyte activation, sCD163 is related to M2 macrophage subpopulation, and a heterodimer S100A8/S100A9 is released from monocytes during their extravasation and present also in the cytoplasm of neutrophils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of soluble myeloid antigens in kidney transplant recipient with respect to different modes of induction therapy.

In total 71 patients who underwent renal transplantation from deceased donor were enrolled in the study. All patients were treated by a triple maintenance therapy with or without induction therapy with basiliximab or rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin (ATG). Serum concentrations of sCD14, sCD163 and S100A8/S100A9 were measured by ELISA, immunophenotyping of immune cells was performed by flow cytometry.

In patients without the induction therapy and those treated with basiliximab, serum levels of sCD163 were downregulated during the first week after the transplantation in contrast to patients treated with ATG where sCD163 levels decreased during the second week but remained lower for 3 months. A negative correlation has been found between the concentration of sCD163 in sera and the percentage of CD163 positive monocytes in peripheral blood of kidney transplant recipients. In ATG treated patients, the expansion of CD14+CD163+ monocytes was delayed but their upregulation lasted longer as compared to patients treated with basiliximab and patients without the induction therapy. Serum concentrations of sCD14 and S100A8/S100A9 showed very high interindividual variability and did not correlate with proportions of myeloid cell subpopulations.

We conclude from our data that regulation of both the membrane and soluble forms of CD163 molecule might be affected by the induction therapy with ATG. The role of soluble myeloid antigens as potential biomarkers of kidney transplant complications will be evaluated in a consequent prospective study.

Supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant nr. 15-26883A and by MH CZ-DRO (Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine – IKEM, IN 00023001). All rights reserved.

CITATION INFORMATION: Striz I, Cecrdlova E, Sekerkova A, Slatinska J, Svachova V, Viklicky O. Serum Levels of Soluble Myeloid Antigens After Kidney Allograft Transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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