Immune Monitoring for Rejection of Kidney Transplants

Kidney transplantation is the best treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. The first six months after a technically successful transplantation is, however, often complicated by episodes of renal dysfunction that may have various causes. Rapid diagnosis of these episodes, which is difficult in patients with poor basal kidney function, is important in order to treat acute rejection or to stop further immunosuppression if rejection is not the cause. In most cases the clinical findings allow an accurate diagnosis to be made. However, clinicians confronted with such episodes can be misled because findings suggestive of rejection can also be the . . .