Is Lack of Consensus on the Management of Chronic Active Antibody-Mediated Rejection Harming Renal Transplant Recipients?

Abstract

In 2022, over 92,000 kidney transplants were performed globally. With advancements in transplant science, 1-year graft survival rates have reached 94.3% for deceased donor kidney transplant recipients, and 97.8% for living recipients. However, 5-year graft survival remains at 76.3% and 86.5%. Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is one of the most common causes of immune-related allograft rejection. Chronic active AMR (CABMR) typically develops 6–12 months post-transplant; 76% of kidney transplant recipients with CABMR experience graft loss 1.9 years after diagnosis. Despite these alarming figures, consensus guidelines on the management of post-transplant patients have not been updated with advancements in testing and protocol biopsies, and there is currently no consensus in Europe on CABMR management.