Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival

Background and hypothesisThe presence of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies before kidney transplantation (preDSAs) is associated with decreased graft survival. The hypothesis that increasing donor kidney age is negatively associated with the impact of preDSA on graft survival was investigated.Metho...

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Main Authors: Michiel G. H. Betjes, Judith A. Kal-van Gestel, Dave Roelen, Marcia M. L. Kho, Sebastian Heidt, Annelies E. de Weerd, Jacqueline van de Wetering
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1574324/full
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author Michiel G. H. Betjes
Judith A. Kal-van Gestel
Dave Roelen
Marcia M. L. Kho
Sebastian Heidt
Annelies E. de Weerd
Jacqueline van de Wetering
author_facet Michiel G. H. Betjes
Judith A. Kal-van Gestel
Dave Roelen
Marcia M. L. Kho
Sebastian Heidt
Annelies E. de Weerd
Jacqueline van de Wetering
author_sort Michiel G. H. Betjes
collection DOAJ
description Background and hypothesisThe presence of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies before kidney transplantation (preDSAs) is associated with decreased graft survival. The hypothesis that increasing donor kidney age is negatively associated with the impact of preDSA on graft survival was investigated.MethodsOutcome of kidney transplantation in a single center cohort of 2,024 patients transplanted between 2010 and 2020 with a follow-up of at least 3 years was analyzed to assess this relation.ResultsDSAs before transplantation were present in 14% of recipients and showed an independent association with graft loss. The preDSA against HLA class I (2%) or class II (7%) had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for death censored graft failure of 5.8 (95% CI 4.4–7.7), while the combination (5%) had an HR of 18.6 (95% CI 13.8–25.1). The preDSA-associated increase in graft failure was caused primarily by an increase in the incidence of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), intragraft thrombosis, and primary non-function. These effects were observed more frequently in the deceased donor kidney transplantations compared to living donor kidney transplantations. The incidence of ABMR was not associated with donor kidney age. However, increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravated the negative effect of preDSA on graft survival. For instance, recipients aged ≥65 years transplanted with a deceased donor kidney aged ≥65 years had an uncensored 1- and 3-year graft survival of 83% and 67%, respectively, if transplanted without DSA. This decreased to 56% and 35% if transplanted in the presence of DSA. For comparison, recipients aged ≥65 years of a deceased donor kidney aged <65 years had an uncensored 1- and 3-year graft survival of 92% and 78%, respectively, without preDSA, and if transplanted with preDSA, this decreased to 77% and 69%, respectively.ConclusionsThe negative effect of circulating DSA at the time of transplantation on both early and late death-censored graft survival is heavily influenced by donor age.
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spelling doaj-art-29df4f0d39a44de0becd9ba773d552f82025-08-20T02:11:54ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-04-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15743241574324Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survivalMichiel G. H. Betjes0Judith A. Kal-van Gestel1Dave Roelen2Marcia M. L. Kho3Sebastian Heidt4Annelies E. de Weerd5Jacqueline van de Wetering6Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center Transplant Institute, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsBackground and hypothesisThe presence of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies before kidney transplantation (preDSAs) is associated with decreased graft survival. The hypothesis that increasing donor kidney age is negatively associated with the impact of preDSA on graft survival was investigated.MethodsOutcome of kidney transplantation in a single center cohort of 2,024 patients transplanted between 2010 and 2020 with a follow-up of at least 3 years was analyzed to assess this relation.ResultsDSAs before transplantation were present in 14% of recipients and showed an independent association with graft loss. The preDSA against HLA class I (2%) or class II (7%) had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for death censored graft failure of 5.8 (95% CI 4.4–7.7), while the combination (5%) had an HR of 18.6 (95% CI 13.8–25.1). The preDSA-associated increase in graft failure was caused primarily by an increase in the incidence of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), intragraft thrombosis, and primary non-function. These effects were observed more frequently in the deceased donor kidney transplantations compared to living donor kidney transplantations. The incidence of ABMR was not associated with donor kidney age. However, increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravated the negative effect of preDSA on graft survival. For instance, recipients aged ≥65 years transplanted with a deceased donor kidney aged ≥65 years had an uncensored 1- and 3-year graft survival of 83% and 67%, respectively, if transplanted without DSA. This decreased to 56% and 35% if transplanted in the presence of DSA. For comparison, recipients aged ≥65 years of a deceased donor kidney aged <65 years had an uncensored 1- and 3-year graft survival of 92% and 78%, respectively, without preDSA, and if transplanted with preDSA, this decreased to 77% and 69%, respectively.ConclusionsThe negative effect of circulating DSA at the time of transplantation on both early and late death-censored graft survival is heavily influenced by donor age.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1574324/fullage donor kidneyantibody-mediated rejectiondonor-specific anti-HLA antibodiesgraft survivalkidney transplantation
spellingShingle Michiel G. H. Betjes
Judith A. Kal-van Gestel
Dave Roelen
Marcia M. L. Kho
Sebastian Heidt
Annelies E. de Weerd
Jacqueline van de Wetering
Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
Frontiers in Immunology
age donor kidney
antibody-mediated rejection
donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies
graft survival
kidney transplantation
title Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
title_full Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
title_fullStr Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
title_full_unstemmed Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
title_short Increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on kidney graft survival
title_sort increasing donor kidney age significantly aggravates the negative effect of pretransplant donor specific anti hla antibodies on kidney graft survival
topic age donor kidney
antibody-mediated rejection
donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies
graft survival
kidney transplantation
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1574324/full
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