Kidney Transplant; Complications

Kidney transplantation (KT) is the best treatment modality available to date for patients with advanced kidney disease and the success of KT is dependent on maintaining a selective intricate balance between the risk of rejection and infections in KT recipients. BK virus is an important clinical infection affecting the post-transplant outcomes in KT recipients. BK nephropathy can affect 8-15% of patients after KT causing acute kidney injury, increased risk of rejection and fibrosis leading to additional hospital stays, increasing overall health care cost burden, and in some cases graft loss. The exact pathogenesis and treatment options for BK nephropathy are not clearly understood. It is debatable whether BK nephropathy is a full fledge donor-derived infection or reactivation of the recipient's latent infection. Irrespective of etiology, the common consensus is that treatment of BK virus infection depends on the selective restoration of host immune responses and balancing the risk of rejection vs worsening of infection.

This project will be a single-arm feasibility study, with a treatment intervention that includes three interrelated components: (1) patient education using a proven weight loss curriculum, and (2) technology tools for making healthy lifestyle choices.

* To determine the incidence of arterial inflow problems and venous outflow problems as causes of impaired renal function and/or treatment-resistant hypertension after kidney transplantation, when all kidney-transplant recipients in Denmark are evaluated according to uniform, well-defined clinical criteria. * To investigate the efficacy and safety of catheter-based balloon treatment (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty, PTA) for these vascular complications, of which transplant renal artery stenosis is by far the most common. * To assess whether novel imaging and functional diagnostic methods can predict treatment response.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common in kidney transplant recipients and are an important cause of illness and hospital admissions. Past studies have shown that about 1 out of 5 of newly transplanted patients develop UTI within their first 3 months of transplantation. Such UTIs increase the risk for blood stream infection and acute rejection of the kidney, Improvements in urinary voiding techniques may reduce the frequency of UTI. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefits of "double voiding" in kidney transplant recipients.

EFFEKTOR is a vanguard, multicenter, phase 2 randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial to determine the feasibility, tolerability, safety, and efficacy of finerenone in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). One hundred fifty (150) KTRs will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio of finerenone to placebo, with two embedded substudies: (i) a kidney biopsy substudy in 50 participants who undergo a research kidney biopsy prior to randomization and at the end of active treatment; and (ii) a functional MRI (fMRI) substudy in 50 participants who undergo fMRI prior to randomization and at the end of active treatment.

This is a prospective, randomized multicenter trial of preemptive therapy (PET) vs. antiviral prophylaxis (AP) for prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in adult D+R- kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Patients meeting study eligibility criteria and who have provided informed consent will be randomized (1:1) within 7 days of transplant to receive, in an open label design, either AP with valganciclovir 900 mg orally once daily or letermovir 480 mg orally once daily \[both dose adjusted per Food and Drug Administration (FDA) label\] for 200 days post-transplant), or PET (central lab weekly plasma polymerase chain reaction (PCR) monitoring for CMV deoxyribonucleic acidemia (DNAemia)) for 100 days post-transplant, with oral valganciclovir 900mg orally twice daily (or renally dosed per FDA label) at onset of CMV DNAemia at any level and continued until plasma CMV DNAemia is negative or below the level of quantitation in two consecutive weekly plasma samples. Study participants will be followed for pre-specified outcomes (clinical, laboratory, immunologic, safety) until withdrawal, death, or study closure, up to a maximum of 5.5 years post-transplant. Approximately 360 participants (180 participants in each group) will be randomized into the study. Estimated Time to Complete Enrollment: 4 years

Cardiovascular disease (for example, heart attack, stroke, heart failure) is the commonest complication of kidney failure. Kidney transplantation reduces cardiovascular risk but cardiovascular disease remains the commonest cause of death in patients following transplantation. Current strategies to assess patient's cardiovascular risk prior to kidney transplantation do not identify those at highest risk and do not improve outcomes. This study will use a heart scan known as computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) to see whether this scan can identify patients at highest risk of future cardiovascular disease prior to transplantation. Studies have shown it is able to do this in patients with normal kidney function. The aim of this study is to develop CTCA as an effective tool to risk stratify patients prior to kidney transplantation.

This is a phase 1 trial, 36 month duration for subjects with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The objectives of the trail are1) Determine the safety of ECP-DL cell infusion in living donor renal transplant recipients. 2) Determine rates of graft rejection and compare to historical controls. One week prior to planned LDK transplant the donor and recipient pair will be seen for ECP-DL preparation and infusion. Donors will undergo one single unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell collection using the THERAKOS® CELLEX® Photopheresis System; the cell product will then undergo ECP treatment to make ECP-DL, which will then be infused into the recipient. One week later, recipients (n=12) will undergo LDK transplant using standard of care maintenance immunosuppression without antibody induction therapy. Subsequent patients will receive cell infusions in escalating cell doses. A minimum of two months will be used as an interval between ECP-DL treatment in each tier. A staggered approach for moving to the next tier will be employed waiting no less than two months to ensure absence of adverse events using the following tier dosing schema: Tier 1: 0.5 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Tier 2: 1 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Tier 3: 2 x 10\^9 ECP-DL treated cells (n=4) Following transplant, LDK recipients will undergo ECP using the Therakos system on two consecutive days per month for 6 months (12 treatments). Peripheral IV access will be used whenever possible.

The investigators want to study the impact CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) has on patients glycemic control as determined by time in range (TIR 70-180 mg/dL) in the Diabetic Kidney Transplant population.

This study is being done to find out if administering CytoGam® after the end of standardly prescribed preventive antiviral treatment can help transplant recipients with a high risk for developing late CMV disease after a liver and/or kidney transplant.

The REWARM study is a randomized controlled clinical efficacy study, with primary outcome renal function 12 months after transplantation of kidneys recovered from deceased donors aged 50 years or older. Prior to transplantation, kidney grafts in the intervention group will receive 6 hours of NMP, following standard HMP and kidneys in the control group will only receive standard treatment, being HMP. It is a multi-center trial. Given the total annual 50+ deceased donor kidney transplantation volume of the three participating transplant centers combined, inclusions in the study are expected to last 2.5-3 years, aiming for a total of 120 patients in each of the two arms (240 patients total).

The purpose of this study is to study how CMVIG interacts with the body and to see if it might work to prevent kidney transplant patients from becoming infected with CMV.

To define the sensibility and the specificity of increased levels of MR-proADM for early, non-invasive, diagnosis of AR and DGF after kidney and liver transplantation creating a predictive model for related complications after kidney and liver transplantation based on the pre-operative and post-operative levels of MR-proADM and by a machine learning process.

The goal of the Australian Genomics of Chronic Allograft Dysfunction (AUSCAD) study is a single centre (Westmead Hospital), prospective, observational study, which enrols patients at time of kidney (or kidney-transplant) transplant and tracks the post transplant course. The AUSCAD study aims to generate new knowledge and improve outcomes following kidney transplantation. The primary aim is to determine whether important outcomes (including chronic rejection and graft loss) are correlated with patterns of allograft reactivity, gene expression and susceptibility profiles.

Cornerstone immunosuppressive therapy currently relies on immediate-release tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) that is potentially nephrotoxic and is more diabetogenic than cyclosporine A. A new formulation of tacrolimus has been launched: an extended-release formulation (Advagraf®/Astagraf XL®, Astellas company).

Long-term allograft function in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remain suboptimal, and graft failure causes significant morbidity and mortality, with cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death in KTRs and the most common cause of death with a functioning graft. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors safely lower cardiovascular and kidney disease risk in the non-transplant population, yet data in KTRs are lacking. This clinical trial seeks to establish the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin, a SGLT2 inhibitor, for improving cardiovascular and kidney graft function in adult KTRs with type 2 diabetes and post-transplant diabetes, and to leverage innovate translational methods to define the underlying mechanisms of action.

Lower serum bicarbonate levels, even within the normal laboratory range, in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are associated with an increased risk of graft loss, cardiovascular events and mortality. Because acid retention is common in KTRs, it is plausible that alkali therapy in KTRs may also result in improved vascular and graft function. The investigators will perform a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, 12 month study in 120 KTRs to examine the effect of sodium bicarbonate therapy on surrogate markers of CVD and graft function. The overall hypothesis is that treatment with bicarbonate will improve indicators of vascular and graft function in KTRs by decreasing complement activation.

The renal biopsy (RB) represents the gold-standard for the diagnosis of acute renal transplant rejection (AR), and allows early verification of a so-called "subclinical" rejection, ie without any clinical or biological abnormality detectable in a stable kidney transplant patient. The RB also makes it possible to certify a strictly normal renal histology and thus to motivate the withdrawal of corticosteroid therapy. It is this 3-month post-transplant protocol RB protocol that has been effective since 2007 at the CHU Liège. However, RB is an invasive procedure, contraindicated in patients taking anticoagulants, and carrying a significant risk of complications. The potential complications associated with RB motivate the identification and validation of other diagnostic means. In the present project, the investigators propose to study the relevance of positron emission tomography (PET), coupled with conventional tomography (CT), after intravenous injection of 18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (18FDG) in the overall protocol of the renal transplant patient at 3 months post-transplant to: (i) allow protocol renal biopsy only in patients with suspicion of an acute rejection (ii) be a decision maker for withdrawal from corticosteroids in the absence of rejection In practice, the investigators suggest performing 18FDG PET / CT imaging on the day of the surveillance biopsy, which is systematically performed in all kidney transplant patients at University Hospital of Liège 3 months after transplant. The investigators are considering 3 scenarios: * Scenario 1. The renal biopsy shows signs of humoral rejection: the patient is excluded from the study and is treated "as usual" on the basis of the histological results. * Scenario 2. The renal biopsy does not show signs of humoral rejection but the 18FDG PET / CT shows a high metabolic activity of the graft (\> 2.4): the patient is treated "as usual" on the basis of histological findings. * Scenario 3. The renal biopsy does not show signs of humoral rejection and the 18FDG PET / CT shows a weak metabolic activity of the graft (\<2.4): the immunosuppressive treatment is gradually weaned off corticosteroids. This clinical research project is interested in a major health problem in the follow-up of renal transplant patients, and could make it possible to improve the management of a subclinical rejection of the renal transplant and to increase the withdrawal of corticosteroids including side effects are well known.

Randomized (1:1), placebo controlled, double blind efficacy trial. 200 patients will be followed up for 12 months post transplantation. The primary endpoint will be Delayed Graft Function (DGF) defined as the requirement for dialysis within 7 days post transplantation.

The goal of this clinical trial is to look at the effect of SGLT2 (Sodium glucose transporter 2) inhibition in patients receiving a kidney-transplant 6 weeks earlier at Oslo University hospital. Rikshospitalet. Investigators will search for answers along three pathways: Can SGLT2 inhibitor 1) preserve glomerular filtration rate (GFR), 2) reduce interstitial fibrosis in the kidney, and 3) favorably improve metabolic risk factors for graft failure such as visceral obesity, glucose intolerance and high blood pressure? The participants (N=330) will be randomized to either dapagliflozin 10 mg or placebo o.d. in a blinded fashion. Researchers will than use kidney transplant biopsies, measured GFR, blood pressure sampling, glucose tolerance test (OGTT), dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA scan) and estimated GFR from the two groups in comparison, to evaluate the effect treatment. The participants will be followed for a total of 3 years.

The investigators project is based on: * Assessment of bone architecture by high resolution peripheral scanner (HRpQCT) and bone densitometry (DEXA); * The non-invasive detection of vascular calcifications (by abdominal CT scanner) and bone abnormalities associated with kidney transplantation, as well as the analysis of evolution over time; * Longitudinal evaluation of nephrological clinical parameters (glomerular filtration rate, number and type of rejections, immunosuppressive medications) as well as biological and urinary parameters of mineral metabolism (parathormone, sclerostin, bone alkaline phosphatase) depending on the type and severity of bone abnormalities; * The evaluation of these nephrological clinical parameters and of the biological parameters of mineral metabolism depending on the extent and evolution of vascular calcifications but also on bone morphology; * The study of possible relationships between bone mass and muscle mass (and functioning)

In the early postoperative period, hyperglycemia is frequently seen in renal transplant recipients primarily because of high doses of immunosuppressive therapy. Many of these patients have pre-existing type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, 10-20% of renal transplant recipients develop new onset persisting hyperglycemia following renal transplantation, known as posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM). These patients need optimal glycemic control in order to prevent development of cardiovascular and de novo renal disease. Most of these patients receive insulin therapy following transplantation, as they receive steroid therapy and oral hypoglycemic agents are better avoided. However, as steroids are tapered and need for insulin diminishes, several anti-diabetic agents are initiated off-label, such as metformin, DDP-4 inhibitors and sulfonylureas. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors exhibit nephroprotective effects in individuals with native kidney disease, with or without type 2 diabetes. However, the data regarding the safety and glycemic efficacy of these glucose-lowering agents in the renal transplant setting are scarce. DPP-4 inhibitors are glucose-lowering agents used in patients with CKD. For instance, linagliptin is used in all eGFRs without dose modification. The data regarding the safety and efficacy of linagliptin are scarce in patients following renal transplantation. Since patients following renal transplantation receive immunosuppressants and steroids, which may affect their body composition. Effect of SGLT2 inhibitors or DPP-4 inhibitors on body composition in patients following renal transplantation is not well established. In this study, we aimed to examine the safety and effect of empagliflozin (an SGLT2 inhibitor) versus linagliptin (an DDP-4 inhibitor) on the glycemic outcomes, renal outcomes and body composition in renal transplant recipients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To study the efficacy and safety of apixaban as stroke prophylaxis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 5 and atrial fibrillation (AF) with or without dialysis treatment. The study hypothesis is that compared to no anticoagulation, apixaban reduces the incidence of ischemic stroke without causing an unacceptable increase in fatal or intracranial bleeding events. The secondary objectives are to evaluate the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, and major bleeding in people with CKD stage 5 and AF treated with apixaban compared to standard of care without anticoagulation. Trial design: Pragmatic Prospective Open Label Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, phase 3b over 12-72 months. Trial population: 1000-1400 patients at ≈50 sites in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Poland Eligibility criteria: Adults ≥18 years with CKD stage 5 (ongoing treatment with any chronic dialysis treatment OR an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)\* \<20 ml/min/1.73 m2 at least twice 3 months apart of which at least one occasion is \<15 ml/min/1.73 m2 due to CKD during the last 12 months) and a diagnosis of chronic, paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent AF or atrial flutter (AFL) with CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2 for men or ≥3 or more for women as an indication for oral anticoagulation. The exclusion criteria are AF or AFL due to reversible causes, rheumatic mitral stenosis or moderate-to-severe non-rheumatic mitral stenosis at the time of inclusion into the study, a condition other than AF or AFL that requires chronic anticoagulation, contraindications for anticoagulation, active bleeding or serious bleeding within 3 months, planned for surgery within 3 months, and current use of strong inhibitors of both CYP3A4 and P-glycoprotein. Interventions: Randomization 1:1 to treatment with apixaban 2.5 mg twice daily and standard of care, or standard of care and no anticoagulation. Outcome measures: primary efficacy (time to first ischemic stroke); primary safety (the composite of time to first intracranial bleeding or fatal bleeding); secondary efficacy (time to all-cause mortality, time to cardiovascular event or cardiovascular death); secondary safety (time to first major bleeding according to International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) criteria)

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a major morbidity in children after kidney transplantation (KTx), limiting life expectancy and impairing graft function. Arterial hypertension (AH) is the dominant CV risk factor, and highly abundant in this patient group. AH can cause left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), which is predictive of CV death. LVH can be non-invasively assessed by measuring left ventricular mass index (LVMI). Analyses of observational data showed that blood pressure (BP) levels \<75th percentile (pct) were associated with a significant reduction of LVMI. Guidelines give BP goals for children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). No guidelines, however, exist on the treatment of AH in pediatric KTx patients. In the proposed multicenter, randomized, parallel group trial with blinded endpoint evaluation we aim to assess n=500 pediatric patients \>12 months after KTx at several KTx centers. Patients will be randomly assigned 1:1 to an intensified BP management group (BP target ≤60th pct) and a standard BP management group (BP target \<90th pct). The primary endpoint is LVMI after 24 months. Secondary endpoints are estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), pulse wave velocity (PWV) and intima media thickness (IMT) after 24 months. BP control will be guaranteed for both groups through BP telemonitoring, which will be transmitted in real time to the treating physician and the trial's centralized BP office. By defining the adequate BP goal, the results of the proposed study will have direct implications for the care of children after KTx. The results will define an important element of post-KTx care and help to lower CV morbidity and subsequently CV mortality of pediatric KTx patients.

The technology for robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) has become increasingly advanced, with numerous studies demonstrating comparable outcomes between RAKT surgery and open surgery. This advancement is particularly noteworthy as it extends its suitability to transplant patients with obesity. It will be important to explore the results of robot-assisted kidney transplantation as compared with open surgery or within cohorts.