High proportion of CD95+ and CD38+ in cultured CD8+ T cells predicts acute rejection and infection, respectively, in kidney recipients

•High pre-transplant % of CD95+ T-cells predicts early acute allograft rejection.•High early post-transplant % of CD95+ T-cells predicts early rejection.•High post-transplant % CD69+ in CD8+ T cells could predict rejection after 1st month.•High post-transplant % CD38+ in CD8+ T cells in recipients with infection episodes

The aim of this study was to find noninvasive T-cell markers able to predict rejection or infection risk after kidney transplantation.We prospectively examined T-lymphocyte subsets after cell culture stimulation (according to CD38, CD69, CD95, CD40L, and CD25 expression) in 79 first graft recipients from four centers, before and after transplantation. Patients were followed up for one year.Patients who rejected within month-1 (n = 10) showed high pre-transplantation and week-1 post-transplantation percentages of CD95+, in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). These biomarkers conferred independent risk for early rejection (HR:5.05, P = 0.061 and HR:75.31, P = 0.004; respectively). The cut-off values were able to accurately discriminate between rejectors and non-rejectors and Kaplan–Meier curves showed significantly different free-of-rejection time rates (P < 0.005). Patients who rejected after the month-1 (n = 4) had a higher percentage of post-transplantation CD69+ in CD8+ T-cells than non-rejectors (P = 0.002). Finally, patients with infection (n = 41) previously showed higher percentage of CD38+ in CD8+ T-cells at all post-transplantation times evaluated, being this increase more marked in viral infections. A cut-off of 59% CD38+ in CD8+ T-cells at week-1, week-2 and month-2 reached 100% sensitivity for the detection of subsequent viral infections.In conclusion, predictive biomarkers of rejection and infection risk after transplantation were detected that could be useful for the personalized care of kidney recipients.