Kidney injury molecule-1 is an early noninvasive indicator for donor brain death-induced injury prior to kidney transplantation.

Journal article

With more marginal deceased donors affecting graft viability, there is a need for specific parameters to assess kidney graft quality at the time of organ procurement in the deceased donor. Recently, kidney injury molecule-1 (Kim-1) was described as an early biomarker of renal proximal tubular damage. We assessed Kim-1 in a small animal brain death model as an early and noninvasive marker for donor-derived injury related to brain death and its sequelae, with subsequent confirmation in human donors. In rat kidney, real-time PCR revealed a 46-fold Kim-1 gene upregulation after 4 h of brain death. In situ hybridization showed proximal tubular Kim-1 localization, which was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. Also, Luminex assay showed a 6.6-fold Kim-1 rise in urine after 4 h of brain death. In human donors, 2.5-fold kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) gene upregulation and 2-fold higher urine levels were found in donation after brain death (DBD) donors compared to living kidney donors. Multiple regression analysis showed that urinary KIM-1 at brain death diagnosis was a positive predictor of recipient serum creatinine, 14 days (p < 0.001) and 1 year (p < 0.05) after kidney transplantation. In conclusion, we think that Kim-1 is a promising novel marker for the early, organ specific and noninvasive detection of brain death-induced donor kidney damage.

Authors: Nijboer, W; Schuurs, T; Damman, J; van Goor, H; Vaidya, V

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 8
• Pages: 1752-1759
• Publication date: 2009-08-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02713.x
• EISSN: 1600-6143
• ISSN: 1600-6135
• Language: English
• Keywords: Female; Membrane Glycoproteins; Rats, Inbred F344; Brain Death; Humans; Disease Models, Animal; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Kidney; Rats; Receptors, Virus; Male; Graft Survival; Regression Analysis; Animals; Middle Aged; Biological Markers; Biopsy; Predictive Value of Tests; Kidney Tubules, Proximal; Kidney Transplantation; Tissue and Organ Procurement