Analysis of selected diagnostic factors of organic kidney damage revealed in protocol biopsy among renal transplant recipients

Introduction: Kidney transplantation is the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease, but long-term graft survival remains a significant challenge. Subclinical graft rejection and other pathological changes often go undetected by standard clinical tests, leading to graft dysfunction and failure. The goal of the study was to determine the usefulness of protocol biopsies in clinical practice by examining the frequency and severity of histological problems, the function of the transplanted organ, and the potential beneficiaries of protocol biopsies following a kidney transplant. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 kidney transplant recipients from the Department of Transplantation Medicine, Nephrology, and Internal Diseases at the Medical University of Warsaw. A statistical analysis was performed to identify significant differences between patients with and without organic kidney changes. Results: Among the 72 kidney transplant recipients, 40% of the biopsies revealed abnormal histological findings. There were big differences in the lipid profiles of patients with and without organic renal damage. The group with renal damage had lower levels of total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results showed significant differences in the lipid profile between patients with organic renal damage and those without organic renal changes, highlighting the value of biopsies in identifying patients at risk of graft failure.