CHRONIC KIDNEY TRANSPLANT REJECTION

Course overview

KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION IS CURRENTLY THE DEFINITIVE TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH END-STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE (ESKD). COMPARED TO DIALYSIS, KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION IS ASSOCIATED WITH REDUCED MORTALITY AND IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. REJECTION OF THE KIDNEY IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF ALLOGRAFT LOSS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, ETIOLOGY, CLASSIFICATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY TRANSPLANT REJECTION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION. IT SPECIFICALLY FOCUSES ON THE IMMUNE MECHANISMS OF CHRONIC KIDNEY TRANSPLANT REJECTION, THE CHARACTERISTIC HISTOPATHOLOGICAL LESIONS OF IMMUNE-MEDIATED CHRONIC REJECTION, HOW TO DIFFERENTIATE CHRONIC REJECTION FROM OTHER CAUSES OF RENAL ALLOGRAFT DYSFUNCTION, AND HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DIAGNOSE AND MANAGE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC REJECTION.