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Abstract: SA-OR102

Serum Expression of Selected MiRNAs Distinguish Recurrence of Glomerulonephritis and Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Session Information

Category: Transplantation

  • 1902 Transplantation: Clinical

Authors

  • Borstnar, Spela, Universal Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Bostjancic, Emanuela, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Insitute of Pathology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Kovac, Damjan, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Veceric Haler, Zeljka, University Clinical centre Ljubljana, Komenda, Slovenia
  • Kojc, Nika, Medical faculty Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Background

Recently, many miRNAs (small non-coding regulatory RNAs) were found to be involved in pathological processes that can occur following kidney transplantation. The purpose of current study was to investigate the potential significance of different circulating miRNAs in predicting acute antibody mediated rejection (ABMR) and glomerulonephritis recurrence (rGN) regardless of the stage of renal impairment.

Methods

Total RNA was isolated from serum of 50 kidney transplanted patients with varying degrees of kidney graft failure, but stable function as estimated with CKD EPI equations (eGFR CKD-EPI), as well as precisely measured using chromium-51 labelled ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid clearance (mGFR CrEDTA). Expression of 6 selected miRNAs (miR-29c, miR-126, miR-146a, miR-150, miR-155, miR-223) was determined by qPCR, using miR-103a-3p as reference gene.

Results

Selected candidate miRNAs miR-126 (p=0.002), miR-155 (p=0.004) and miR-223 (p=0.028) distinguished ABMR (n=6) from the stable patient group – patients without ABMR or rGN (n=41). MiR-126 (p=0.008), miR-150 (p=0.009) and miR-223 (p=0.033) distinguished rGN (n=3) from stable patient group. MiR-126 (p=0.048), miR-150 (p=0.024) and potentially miR-223 (p=0.09) distinguished ABMR from rGN. Additionally, miR-29c expression was not detected in rGN and it was down-regulated in ABMR compared to stable group. Expression of miR-146a did not show association to any of the group of patients. None of the tested miRNA was associated with mGFR CrEDTA, only miR-150 weakly correlated to eGFR CKD EPI.

Conclusion

Four of the tested miRNAs (miR-126, miR-29, miR-155, miR-223) are not associated with kidney graft function, but may discriminate AMBR and rGN and therefore can be used as a non-invasive biomarker to distinguish between pathologies.

Different expression of selected miRNA in stable patient group, ABMR and rGN group.