MERCuRY V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Mechanism of pathogenesis of Recurrent IgA nephropathy post kidney transplantation
IRAS ID
336099
Contact name
Sapna Shah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 7 months, 8 days
Research summary
Kidney transplantation is the gold-standard treatment for patients with kidney failure offering better quality and longer life compared to dialysis as well as economic advantages to the National Health Service. For kidneys from deceased donors in the UK, 30-40% of kidneys fail during the first 10 years following transplantation. This means that approximately 1,200 kidney transplant patients will return to dialysis each year because their kidney transplant has stopped working.
When the transplant fails, patients returning to dialysis are at risk of infection and cardiovascular events. Although some may be considered for re-transplantation, the paucity of available donor organs and sensitisation to HLA limit this possibility. Therefore prolonging first transplant survival is a key priority for clinicians, patients and healthcare providers.The main causes of transplant loss are chronic rejection and recurrent glomerulonephritis. Glomerulonephritis, inflammation in the kidney, is the second commonest cause of kidney failure, after diabetes, and affects about 13% of all new patients needing dialysis or kidney transplantation. IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune condition, is the commonest cause of glomerulonephritis in the world. After transplantation, IgA nephropathy develops in some but not all kidney transplants. Up to 60% of patients with IgA nephropathy will develop the same disease again in their new transplant kidney. This can lead to renal dysfunction and graft failure.
Researchers have developed treatments, targeting the immune system, for IgA nephropathy which are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. We anticipate that patients and doctors will want to use these treatments for patients who also develop recurrent IgA after kidney transplantation. However before we can do this, we need to understand whether recurrent IgA nephropathy after kidney transplantation develops in the same way that IgA nephropathy develops in the patient's own kidneys.This study is designed to discover the pathways of disease for recurrent IgA nephropathy after kidney transplantation.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/WM/0158
Date of REC Opinion
24 Jul 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion