Anti-donor MHC Class II Alloantibody Induces Glomerular Injury in Mouse Renal Allografts Subjected to Prolonged Cold Ischemia

Background The mechanisms underlying the effects of prolonged cold-ischemia storage on kidney allografts are poorly understood. Methods To investigate effects of cold ischemia on donor-reactive immune responses and graft pathology, we used a mouse kidney transplantation model that subjected MHC-mismatched BALB/c kidney allografts to cold-ischemia storage for 0.5 or 6 hours before transplant into C57BL/6 mice. Results At day 14 post-transplant, recipients of allografts subjected to 6 versus 0.5 hours of cold-ischemia storage had increased levels of anti–MHC class II (but not class I) donor-specific antibodies, increased donor-reactive T cells, and a significantly higher proportion of transplant glomeruli infiltrated with macrophages. By day 60 post-transplant, allografts with a 6 hour cold-ischemia time developed extensive glomerular injury compared with moderate pathology in allografts with 0.5 hour of cold-ischemia time. Pathology was associated with increased serum levels of anti–class 2 but not anti–class 1 donor-specific antibodies. Recipient B cell depletion abrogated early macrophage recruitment, suggesting augmented donor-specific antibodies, rather than T cells, increase glomerular pathology after prolonged cold ischemia. Lymphocyte sequestration with sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 antagonist FTY720 specifically inhibited anti–MHC class II antibody production and abrogated macrophage infiltration into glomeruli. Adoptive transfer of sera containing anti-donor MHC class II antibodies or mAbs against donor MHC class II restored early glomerular macrophage infiltration in FTY720-treated recipients. Conclusions Post-transplant inflammation augments generation of donor-specific antibodies against MHC class II antigens. Resulting MHC class II–reactive donor-specific antibodies are essential mediators of kidney allograft glomerular injury caused by prolonged cold ischemia.