#6062 EFFECT OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION ON ARTERIOLAR MOLECULAR PATHWAYS IN CHILDREN WITH PRECEDING PERITONEAL DIALYSIS
Authors: Bartosova Maria , Zhang Conghui , Marinovic Iva , Herzog Rebecca , Schaefer Betti , Ariceta Gema , Vondrak Karel , Kratochwill Klaus , Peters Verena , Schmitt Claus Peter 
Published: June 2023

Background and Aims

Patients on peritoneal dialysis suffer from progressive peritoneal membrane transformation and accelerated vascular disease, underlying molecular machineries have recently been described. Molecular effects of kidney transplantation (KTx) on vascular and peritoneal pathophysiology following PD are hardly understood.

Method

Fat surrounded omental arterioles (i.e. not directly exposed to PD fluids) from age-matched (median 6,5 years) children with chronic kidney disease (CKD5, n = 8), 5 children on PD [neutral pH, low glucose degradation product content, median PD duration 22 (5,50) months] and 6 children, who underwent successful KTx 4-5 weeks after a median 22 (12, 36) months of PD were analyzed by digital histomorphometry. Following microdissection from fat tissue, arterioles underwent transcriptome and proteome analyses, followed by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), gene ontology (GO) and protein interaction analysis (string-db.org). Key pathways were validated in independent, matched cohorts by quantitative immunohistochemistry (n = 15/group) and in vitro.

Results

5000 most variable arteriolar transcripts (cut off p-value&lt;0.05 and |r| &gt;0.5) were grouped into 23 modules by WGCNA, of which 8 significantly differed between CKD5, PD and KTx. Seven were specifically related to KTx and one module to PD. Four out of seven KTx specific modules resulted in significant GO terms summarized as fatty acid biosynthesis, negative regulation of RNA metabolism, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. The PD specific module was associated with muscle cell proliferation, detoxification and complement activation (with thrombospondin as most interconnected gene). Multi-omics analysis of KTx vs. PD demonstrated concordant upregulation of lipid and fatty acid biosynthesis with the hub gene fatty acid synthase (FASN) and downregulation of positive cell cycle regulation. In independent, matched cohorts, arteriolar abundance of thrombospondin and terminal complement complex were higher in children on PD, arterioles from children after KTx had levels comparable to arterioles from children with CKD5. Key drivers of fibrotic process, arteriolar TGF-ß and pSMAD2/3, were also higher in PD arterioles compared to CKD5 and persistently high after KTx. Arteriolar cell cycle arrest marker p16 and apoptosis marker cleaved Casp3 were higher after KTx as compared to PD and CKD5. FASN was abundant in intima and media layers of all arterioles, and three-fold higher after KTx then in children with PD and CKD5, respectively. Neutral lipids (oil red staining) were present in all three groups, more abundant in the media than in the intima, and two-fold increased in the media of children after KTx compared to children on PD (p = 0.018) and with CKD5 (p = 0.002). In vitro, methylprednisolone and tacrolimus, but not mycophenolate mofetil increased FASN abundance and activity in human umbilical arterial endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells compared to media controls.

Conclusion

We for the first time comprehensively describe molecular pathways activated after KTx in children following a standard immunosuppressive regime. After KTx, arteriolar fatty acid biosynthesis, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest markers are increased as compared to arterioles from children with PD and CKD5; profibrotic pathways induced by PD are persistently activated. Arteriolar hubgene FASN is three-fold more abundant after KTx and neutral lipid deposition is increased, presumably due to the induction of FASN activity by methylprednisolone and tacrolimus.