Causes, Symptoms and Treatments of Renal Transplant Rejection
Causes of Renal Failure
The cause of renal failure is commonly categorized depending on where it occurs:
-
Prerenal kidney failure occurs when there is a decrease of the blood supply to the kidneys such as hypovolemia, poor intake of fuids, dehydration, intake of medication such as diuretics or the renal arteries or vein malfunctioning causing abnormal blood flow to the kidneys.
-
Renal kidney failure occurs when there is direct damage to the kidneys like sepsis, rhabdomyolysis, multiple myeloma, inflammation of the glomeruli and intake of medication that are toxic to the kidneys, like anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics, such as aminoglycosides.
-
Postrenal kidney failure may happen when the outflow of the urine has been affected causing failure of the kidneys to function properly.
-
Chronic renal failure is commonly due to other medical conditions that were poorly controlled like diabetes, high blood pressure and glomerulonephritis.
Renal Transplant Rejection
When your kidneys fail to function totally and it is irreversible, dialysis and kidney transplantation are the two treatment options available for your condition. If you are a suitable candidate for a kidney transplant and a compatible donor is found for you, the operation is performed.
There are risks of your body rejecting the new transplanted kidney, however, due to your body’s natural defenses. Your immune system will see the new transplanted kidney as a foreign antigen and will attack it to protect you from potential harm.
Although tissue typing is done to ensure that the donor’s tissues are as similar to that of the recipient, only identical twins have identical tissue antigens hence the risk of rejection. Oftentimes, the first six months is the crucial period if rejection of the new kidney will occur and the risk decreases over time but kidney transplant rejection can occur at any time after the operation.
Symptoms of Kidney Rejection
Kidney rejections are usually monitored through routine bloodwork but the most common symptoms of rejection are:
- Very high fever - 101 degrees F or higher
- Flu-like symptoms
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Decreased urine output
- Pain on the transplant area
If you feel any of the symptoms stated, you should contact your doctor immediately. Transplant rejection does not necessarily mean that you will lose your new kidney or that it is failing. Your doctors will put you on immunosuppression medication and you will need to take such medications for the rest of your life. If symptoms of rejection occur, adjustments will be made to the immunosuppression drugs dosage.
The survival rate of those that receive a kidney from a living donor is 95% after one year and decreases to 80% after 5 years. The rate is a little lower for those that receive their new kidney from a deceased donor at 92% after one year and 70% after 5 years.
The outlook for treating renal transplant rejection is bright because of the technology today and new developments that doctors, researchers and scientists are discovering everyday.
References:
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/kidneytransnewlease.cfm
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000815.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-transplant/MY00792/METHOD=print