Kidney injury molecule-1 expression is closely associated with renal allograft damage

摘要

Th e aim of our study was to investigate the expression of kidney injury molecule-? (KIM-?) in renal allograft biopsy samples and assess the clinical signifi cance of its use as a biomarker for tissue damage. A total of ?? renal allograft biopsy samples from ?? patients with normal serum creatinine and ?? cases of increased serum creatinine were collected. Th ey were divided into diff erent groups according to the Banff ???? diagnostic criteria. KIM-? expression was detected by immunohistochemical methods and the association of KIM-? and blood biochemical indexes was analyzed. KIM-? expression increased as Banff ???? classifi cation grade increased and was positively correlated with tubular infl ammation severity in the acute T-cell rejection group. Moreover, KIM-? expression was strongly positive in the chronic active antibodymediated rejection group. Interestingly, KIM-? was weakly positive in the normal group without obvious acute rejection and injury of immunosuppressant toxicity. In this group, ??.?? (?/??) of the cases with normal serum creatinine level showed weakly positive KIM-? expression in their renal tissues. KIM-? expression level is positively correlated with renal allograft damage and tubular cell injury. KIM-? is expressed in tubular epithelial cells before blood biochemical indexes become elevated and morphological changes occur. KIM-? expression is an early, sensitive, and specifi c biomarker to determine renal tubular epithelial cell injury in renal allograft tissue