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Donor-Specific Antibody Test as a Screening Tool for Stable Long-Term Kidney Transplant Recipients

M. Mohamed1, L. Hidalgo2, S. Parajuli1, N. Garg1, F. Aziz1, K. Swanson1, E. Jochaim1, D. Mandelbrot1, A. Djamali1, B. Astor1

1Department of Nephrology, Madison, WI, 2Department of Surgery, Madison, WI

Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: C-091

Keywords: HLA antibodies, Kidney transplantation, Outcome, Screening

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session C: Kidney Complications: Immune Mediated Late Graft Failure

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020

Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm

 Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm

Location: Virtual

*Purpose: Donor-specific antibody (DSA) is an established biomarker predicting antibody mediated rejection (AMR), but at substantial cost. The utility of DSA test as a screening tool among stable long-term kidney transplant recipients (KTR) with no previous rejection is unknown.

*Methods: We included KTR from 2013-2018 with no prior rejection or positive DSA, with at least one subsequent DSA test and had negative DSA test at least 3-yrs post-transplant. Positive DSA was defined by anti-HLA median fluorescence intensity [MFI] >100. We examined: a) the probability of subsequently developing positive DSA, b) the prevalence of rejection in a biopsy performed within 3 months of the first positive DSA test, and c) risk of death-censored allograft failure for negative and positive DSA results.

*Results: A total of 2284 KTR recipients had 5053 subsequent DSA tests performed during the study period (median follow-up of 2-yrs). Mean age at transplant was 49 years, 14% are nonwhite, 43% were female, 46% living-donor recipients, 19% had prior transplant, and 19% had diabetes. A total of 555 recipients (24.3%) developed a positive DSA during follow-up. Biopsy results were available for 122 of these KTR with a positive DSA, and 32 (26.2%) were positive for rejection, table 1. Clinical follow-up was available for 467 KTR. A total of 40 graft failures occurred during a median follow-up of 2.5-yrs. A positive DSA was associated with a significantly higher incidence of death-censored graft failure (p<0.001) in analyses considering a positive DSA test as a time-varying predictor, figure 1. This association remained after adjustment for potential confounders.

*Conclusions: Among stable KTR with no prior positive DSA or rejection, 24% develop positive DSA in the subsequent 2 years. A positive DSA had poor correlation with rejection on subsequent biopsy (26% positive). A positive DSA test, however, strongly predicted subsequent death-censored graft failure. Developing criteria to identify those stable KTR at highest likelihood of benefitting from continued screening is critical for cost-effective application.

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Table 1: Rejection within 3 months of (+) DSA test
Recipients Tests Biopsies within 3 months of + DSA
Total Positive DSA (%) Total Positive DSA (%) Total Rejection (%) Mediantime to rejection (IQR), days
2284 555 (24.3) 5053 1414 (28.0) 122 32 (26.2) 290 (103, 377)
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To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Mohamed M, Hidalgo L, Parajuli S, Garg N, Aziz F, Swanson K, Jochaim E, Mandelbrot D, Djamali A, Astor B. Donor-Specific Antibody Test as a Screening Tool for Stable Long-Term Kidney Transplant Recipients [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/donor-specific-antibody-test-as-a-screening-tool-for-stable-long-term-kidney-transplant-recipients/. Accessed May 11, 2025.

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