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Review
. 2023 Aug 17:14:1154650.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1154650. eCollection 2023.

Physiopathological role of extracellular vesicles in alloimmunity and kidney transplantation and their use as biomarkers

Elena Cuadrado-Payán  1   2 , María José Ramírez-Bajo  2   3 , Elisenda Bañón-Maneus  2   3 , Jordi Rovira  2   3 , Fritz Diekmann  1   2   3 , Ignacio Revuelta  1   2   3 , David Cucchiari  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Physiopathological role of extracellular vesicles in alloimmunity and kidney transplantation and their use as biomarkers

Elena Cuadrado-Payán et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

Antibody-mediated rejection is the leading cause of kidney graft dysfunction. The process of diagnosing it requires the performance of an invasive biopsy and subsequent histological examination. Early and sensitive biomarkers of graft damage and alloimmunity are needed to identify graft injury and eventually limit the need for a kidney biopsy. Moreover, other scenarios such as delayed graft function or interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy face the same problem. In recent years, interest has grown around extracellular vesicles, specifically exosomes actively secreted by immune cells, which are intercellular communicators and have shown biological significance. This review presents their potential as biomarkers in kidney transplantation and alloimmunity.

Keywords: biomarker; exosomes; extracellular vesicles; kidney; kidney transplant; transplant.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers in kidney transplantation. EMP, endothelial microparticles; NGAL, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin; IL-18, interleukin 18; EVs, extracellular vesicles; Tfh, T follicular helper; gp130, glycoprotein 130; SH2D1B SH2, domain containing 1B, TNFα, tumor necrosis factor alpha; CCL4, chemokine ligands 4; DGF, delayed graft function; IFTA, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy.
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