Renal allograft glomerulopathy and the value of immunohistochemistry.

Studies of late renal allograft biopsies focus on chronic damage investigated by light microscopy (LM). We evaluated the use of immunohistochemistry (IH) as applied in the routine study of transplant glomerulopathies. Among renal transplants in 1985 - 1997, 129 were identified where a graft biopsy had been obtained 6 months or more after transplantation, studied by LM and IH and the original renal disease was known. IH results were evaluated in relation to glomerular LM findings and the original diagnosis. The risk of graft loss in relation to recurrent and de novo glomerulopathy was evaluated. By LM, 69 biopsies (53%) showed glomerulopathy, mesangial sclerosis only in 26, proliferative changes in 15, membranous in 15 and combined membranous and proliferative in 13. By IH, 46 biopsies (36%) stained positive with IgM and/or complement only and 24 with immune complexes including IgA and/or IgG. Seven biopsies (5.4%) showed glomerular disease by IH in spite of normal LM. Recurrence was diagnosed in 22 grafts; 12 had IgA nephropathy, 3 had SLE, 6 other immune complex nephritides and 1 systemic vasculitis. Twenty-eight biopsies (22%) with proliferative and/or membranous glomerulopathy lacked clear connection to the original renal disorder. More than half of these had deposits of IgM and C3 only. The further graft survival was significantly reduced in the presence of de novo glomerulopathy by LM, relative risk 2.0 (confidence interval 1.1 - 3.8) in a Cox-proportional hazards analysis also including serum creatinine and Banff chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) grade, p = 0.03. In conclusion, transplant glomerulopathy should be separated from recurrence. De novo glomerulopathy is frequent and ominous.