ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Please note that you are viewing an archived section from 2023 and some content may be unavailable. To unlock all content for 2023, please visit the archives.

Abstract: FR-PO285

Allograft Rejection Following Immune Checkpoint Inhibition After Renal Transplantation: An In-Depth Analysis of PD-1, PDL-1, and CTLA-4 Checkpoint Inhibitors

Session Information

Category: Onconephrology

  • 1700 Onconephrology

Authors

  • Sardar, Sundus, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Akkari, Abdel-Rauof M., Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Gul Yousaf Khan, Mohammad, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Trivedi, Naman, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Ghahramani, Nasrollah, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States
Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have emerged as one of the most pivotal therapeutic agents in tumor immunotherapy, and now used in solid-organ transplant recipients as salvage therapy post-tumor recurrence or for management of secondary tumors. However, ICI-associated allograft rejection has surfaced as a particular concern in solid-organ transplant recipients.

Methods

We performed a retrospective multi-center cohort study using TriNetX, a global federated health research network providing access to electronic medical records across large healthcare organizations (HCOs) grouped into a network called Global Collaborative Network of 105 HCOs from 14 countries. We identified 164,034 post-renal transplant recipients without ICI use and 247 patients receiving ICI after transplant until May 11 2023 from 37 HCOs. Post-kidney transplant recipients in propensity-matched groups receiving either ICI or non-ICI regimen (n=247 each) were assessed for allograft rejection within first year of ICI exposure as compared to first-year allograft rejection in non-ICI group, with risk analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis as relevant, with further analysis of renal allograft rejection in propensity-matched cohort comparisons with PD-1, PDL-1 and CTLA-4 inhibition.

Results

Kidney allograft rejection within 1 year occurred in 14.9% of patients in the non-ICI cohort as compared to 11.33% in the ICI exposure group (RR=1.32; 95%CI 0.83-2.09). In renal transplant recipients on PD-1 versus CTLA-4 checkpoint inhibition, allograft rejection was confirmed in 30.3% of patients in each cohort (RR=1; 95%CI 0.48-2.08). Allograft rejection noted in 71% patients in CTLA-4 vs. PDL-1 cohorts(RR=1; 95%CI 0.63-1.59), and 50% of patients in PD-1 vs. PDL-1 cohort (RR=1; 95%CI 0.54-1.86). Our study demonstrates there was no significant difference in renal allograft rejection between ICI and non-ICI cohort.

Conclusion

After propensity matching, ICI exposure post-renal transplant was not associated with acute allograft rejection within one year of ICI exposure. Our analysis of allograft rejection with one-year exposure of either of three ICI classes did not reveal superior (or inferior) association as compared to first-year allograft rejection post-renal transplant in non-ICI cohort.