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Renal allograft vasculopathy: ultrasound findings in a non-human primate model of chronic rejection

Novartis Pharma AG, Transplantation Research, WSJ 386.526, S.386.526 Kohlenstrasse, 4002 Basel, Switzerland

View larger version (87K): [in a new window]   Figure 1. (a–c) Longitudinal power Doppler images of renal allografts using a dark violet noise floor background colour. Arrows mark the limits of the renal cortex between the corticomedullary junction and the outer border of the kidney in all three images. (a) Power Doppler (PD) score=3. Note the "blush" of flow uniformly filling the renal cortex. (b) PD=2. Rather than a blush of colour, individual vessels and spaces between vessels are easily visible. (c) PD=1. Complete absence of cortical flow is shown in this graft.

View larger version (17K): [in a new window]   Figure 2. Comparison of in vivo ultrasound volume estimations of all renal allografts in this study with graft weight, both performed on the day of necropsy. Estimations of graft size with ultrasound correlated significantly (Pearson correlation coefficient r=0.91, p<0.001) with the actual weight of the kidney, showing that such estimations with ultrasound closely represent size changes of the graft and can be used invivo to monitor graft size.

View larger version (19K): [in a new window]   Figure 3. Mean change in volume of 24 h ischaemia () vs 48 h ischaemia () allografts during the postoperative period (bars indicate standard deviation). A single animal, which had a large graft, represents week 14 in the 24 h group. Otherwise, allografts with 48 h ischaemia times were significantly smaller than those with 24 h ischaemia times at weeks 5–12 (*p<0.05). Too few animals survived at weeks 12 and 14 time points to make statistical comparison.

View larger version (20K): [in a new window]   Figure 4. Change in volume of renal allografts that developed vasculopathies.

View larger version (15K): [in a new window]   Figure 5. Change in volume of renal allografts without vasculopathies.

View larger version (10K): [in a new window]   Figure 6. Volume increases compared with histological degree of cellular rejection. Moderate and severe cellular rejection in allografts was associated with significantly larger volume increases (t-test, *p<0.001) compared with grafts with no rejection as well as those with marginal and slight rejection. No significant differences in volume could be shown between grafts with slight, marginal or no rejection.