Minimal change disease in graft versus host disease: a podocyte response to the graft?

Clin Nephrol. 2013 Dec;80(6):469-73. doi: 10.5414/CN107420.

Abstract

Nephrotic syndrome is a rare complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation. It has been suggested that nephrotic syndrome may represent a limited form of graft-versus-host disease although the pathological link between these two entities remains unclear. In this paper, we report a case of a 61-year-old female who underwent nonmyeloablative allogenic stem cell transplantation for T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia and subsequently developed biopsy proven minimal change disease shortly after cessation of her immunosuppression therapy. Urinary CD80 was markedly elevated during active disease and disappeared following corticosteroid-induced remission. We hypothesize that alloreactive donor T cells target the kidney and induce podocyte expression of CD80 that results in proteinuria from limited 'graft versus host' disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • B7-1 Antigen / urine
  • Female
  • Graft vs Host Disease / etiology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Nephrosis, Lipoid / etiology*
  • Podocytes / immunology*
  • Proteinuria / etiology
  • Transplantation, Homologous

Substances

  • B7-1 Antigen