Low Pre-Transplant Caveolin-1 Serum Concentrations Are Associated with Acute Cellular Tubulointerstitial Rejection in Kidney Transplantation

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 26; no. 9; p. 2648
• Main Authors: Emmerich, Florian, Zschiedrich, Stefan, Reichenbach-Braun, Christine, Süsal, Caner, Minguet, Susana, Pauly, Marie-Christin, Seidl, Maximilian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 30.04.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Biopsy; Caveolin-1; Classification; Classification schemes; graft rejection; ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI); kidney transplantation; Kidney transplants; Patients; Transplants & implants; Caveolin-1; ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI); graft rejection; kidney transplantation
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092648

Acute and chronic transplant rejections due to alloreactivity are essential contributors to graft loss. However, the strength of alloreactivity is biased by non-immunological factors such as ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). Accordingly, protection from IRI could be favorable in terms of limiting graft rejection. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is part of the cell membrane and an important regulator of intracellular signaling. Cav-1 has been demonstrated to limit IRI and to promote the survival of a variety of cell types including renal cells under stress conditions. Accordingly, Cav-1 could also play a role in limiting anti-graft immune responses. Here, we evaluated a possible association between pre-transplant serum concentrations of Cav-1 and the occurrence of rejection during follow-up in a pilot study. Therefore, Cav-1-serum concentrations were analyzed in 91 patients at the time of kidney transplantation and compared to the incidence of acute and chronic rejection. Higher Cav-1 levels were associated with lower occurrence of acute cellular tubulointerstitial rejection episodes.