Evaluation of Serum Klotho Levels at Early Kidney Post-Transplant

T. Vazquez-Sanchez¹, J. Alonso-Titos¹, M. Sánchez-Niño², E. Sola¹, M. Leon³, V. Lopez¹, P. Ruiz-Esteban¹, E. Porrini⁴, A. Ortiz⁵, D. Hernández¹

¹Nephrology, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA). Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga and University of Málaga. REDinREN (RD16/0009/0006). Málaga. (Spain), Malaga, Spain, ²Nephrology, Instituto de InvestigaciónSanitaria de la FundaciónJiménez Díaz,UniversidadAutónoma de Madrid. REDINREN, Madrid, Spain, ³Pathology, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA). Hospital Universitario Regional de Málaga and University of Málaga. REDinREN (RD16/0009/0006). Málaga. (Spain), Malaga, Spain, ⁴Nephrology, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, CIBICAN, Universidadde laLaguna, REDinREN (RD16/0009/0031) Tenerife e Instituto Reina Sofía de Investigación Renal (IRSIN), Malaga, Spain, ⁵Nephrology, Instituto de InvestigaciónSanitaria de la FundaciónJiménez Díaz,UniversidadAutónoma de Madrid. REDINREN, Malaga, Spain

Meeting: 2021 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: 677

Keywords: Biopsy, Graft function, Kidney transplantation, Risk factors

Topic: Clinical Science » Biomarkers, Immune Assessment and Clinical Outcomes

Session Information

Session Name: Biomarkers, Immune Assessment and Clinical Outcomes

Session Type: Poster Abstract

Session Date & Time: None. Available on demand.

Location: Virtual

*Purpose: Klotho expression is lowered in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). After kidney transplant (KT), serum Klotho levels could be significantly increased compared to the level recorded in uremic patients. However, some factors related to KT might reduce serum Klotho levels leading to an early ageing of the organ.The aim of our study was to evaluate serum Klotho levels in early kidney post-trasplantation patients and its relationship to delayed graft function (DGF) and the histologic data at third month post-KT.

*Methods: We determined Klotho levels in 15 KT patients at baseline and third month after KT and we performed a protocol biopsy (PB) at third month post-transplant. For the determination of soluble Klotho, peripheral blood was extracted pre-TX and 3 months after KT and serum levels were analyzed by ELISA, using soluble human α-Klotho. PB were assessed following the Banff 2017 Classification and inflammation was defined as the sum of interstitial inflammation (i), tubulitis (t), glomerulitis (g) and arteritis (v) scores.

*Results: The recipients were 55.2±14.7 years old on average; 46.7% were men; 93.3% received induction therapy; cold ischemia time was 13.9±2.9 hours and 46.7% had DGF. All the patients were on standard therapy with Tacrolimus, MMF and Prednisone.Soluble Klotho levels decreased significantly from pre-KT to third month post-KT (575.7±263.0 vs 429.1±171.5 pg/ml; p=0,001). 7 patients developed DGF and Klotho levels were considerably lower to those with DGF (575.6±291.5 vs 438.8±189 pg/ml; p=0,06). Soluble Klotho levels at third month after-KT showed a non-significant decrease in patients who had inflammatory graft lesions (i+t+g+v>0) compared to those who did not have inflammatory data (i+t+g+v=0) in PB (355.3±114.7 vs 518±206.2 pg/ml; p=0.078).

*Conclusions: Klotho levels decrease significantly at third month post-KT. DGF and subclinical inflammation could contribute to a lower production of klotho by the graft. This could accelerate the senescence of KT in the future term. Long-term follow-up longitudinal studies will clarify these hypotheses

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Vazquez-Sanchez T, Alonso-Titos J, Sánchez-Niño M, Sola E, Leon M, Lopez V, Ruiz-Esteban P, Porrini E, Ortiz A, Hernández D. Evaluation of Serum Klotho Levels at Early Kidney Post-Transplant [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2021; 21 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/evaluation-of-serum-klotho-levels-at-early-kidney-post-transplant/. Accessed May 16, 2025.

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