Molecular Markers of Acute Kidney Injury in Elderly Deceased Donors

Scoring systems that combine donor clinical and morphological parameters to predict outcome of kidney transplantation lack enough specificity to be generally accepted. Compare to classical histology, molecular assessment of renal tissue offers unbiased and technically robust approach. In this prospective 3-months' observational study procurement biopsies in 180 brain death donors will be performed. Using microarray which detect top differently regulated genes, conventional histology, urinary AKI biomarkers, renal function and clinical variables models predicting DGF and early graft scarring (IFTA, poor graft function) in recipients will be constructed. The associations of AKI in donors with distinct fibrosis atrophy and AKI molecular signals will be found. Molecular techniques and final models may help to improve the decision-making process for the acceptance of kidneys from marginal donors but more importantly, it may help clinicians to guide less toxic immunosuppression in identified problematic grafts.