The Incidence of Antibody-Mediated Rejection Is Age-Related, Plateaus Late After Kidney Transplantation, and Contributes Little to Graft Loss in the Older Recipients

Abstract

It is not known whether antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) is age-related, whether it plateaus late after transplantation, and to what extent it contributes to graft loss in older recipients. Patients transplanted between 2010 and 2015 ( n = 1,054) in a single center had regular follow-up until January 2023. Recipients were divided into age groups at transplantation: 18–39 years (“young”), 40–55 years (“middle age”), and >55 years (“elderly”). Ten years after transplantation the cumulative % of recipients with ABMR was 17% in young, 15% in middle age, and 12% in elderly recipients ( p < 0.001). The cumulative incidence of ABMR increased over time and plateaued 8–10 years after transplantation. In the elderly, with a median follow-up of 7.5 years, on average 30% of the recipients with ABMR died with a functional graft and ABMR contributed only 4% to overall graft loss in this group. These results were cross-validated in a cohort of recipients with >15 years follow-up. Multivariate cox-regression analysis showed that increasing recipient age was independently associated with decreasing risk for ABMR. In conclusion, the cumulative risk for ABMR is age-dependent, plateaus late after transplantation, and contributes little to overall graft loss in older recipients.