Background.

Chronic transplant dysfunction is characterized by renal function decline and proteinuria. Kidney injury molecule (KIM)-1, a transmembrane tubular protein with unknown function, is undetectable in normal kidneys, but markedly induced after injury. Urinary KIM-1 excretion has been quantified as biomarker of renal damage. We prospectively studied whether urinary KIM-1 predicts graft loss, independent of renal function and proteinuria.

Methods.

Renal transplant recipients (n= 145) visiting our outpatient clinic between August 2001 and July 2003 collected 24-hour urine samples for assessment of baseline urinary KIM-1 excretion (microsphere-based Luminex technology), and were followed for graft loss.

Results.

Recipients participated at a median (interquartile range) of 6.0 (2.5–12.0) years posttransplant in baseline measurements. Follow-up beyond baseline was 4.0 (3.2–4.5) years. Urinary KIM-1 excretion was 0.72 (0.42–1.37) ng per 24 hours. Occurrence of graft loss increased over tertiles of KIM-1 excretion: 3 (6.3%), 11 (22.4%), and 17 cases (35.4%; P= 0.001), respectively. High KIM-1 excretion was associated with proteinuria, low creatinine clearance, and high donor age (all P< 0.01). In multivariate Cox regression analyses, prediction of graft loss by KIM-1 appeared independent of creatinine clearance, proteinuria, and donor age. Hazard ratios (95% CI) for the second and third tertile of KIM-1 excretion were 3.6 (0.9–13.5) and 5.1 (1.5–17.8) in the final model.

Conclusions.

Urinary excretion of KIM-1 is an independent predictor of long-term graft loss and therefore a promising new biomarker in early prediction of graft loss.