Prevention of acute rejection episodes with an anti-interleukin 2 receptor monoclonal antibody. II. Results after a second kidney transplantation

The focus of progress in transplantation immunosuppression is to achieve more specific immunosuppression with monoclonal antibodies. We have already shown that the efficacy of 33B3.1, a rat monoclonal Ig2A directed against the human IL-2 receptor, was similar to that of rabbit antithymocyte globulin in the prevention of acute rejection in first kidney transplants. A similar comparative analysis has been made in 40-sec renal transplants. ATG (1 mg/kg/day) or 33B3.1 (10 mg/day) was administered during the first 10 days postgrafting in association with corticosteroids and azathioprine. Cyclosporine was introduced on day 9 and azathioprine/CsA constituted the patient's maintenance treatment after day 45. Rejection treatment consisted of equine antilymphocyte globulin in both cases and of steroid boluses when patients were under Cyclosporine. One patient in each group died. Graft survival was 90%, 85%, and 79% in the ATG group (n = 20) and 100%, 89%, and 89% in the 33B3.1 group (n = 20) at 3, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Of the ATG group patients, 45% and 40% in the 33B3.1 group had at least one rejection episode, half the episodes in the MoAb cohort occurring under 33B3.1, vs. none in the ATG group. Transplant function was similar in both groups. Viral infections appeared to be more frequent with ATG (60%) than with 33B3.1 (12%), with CMV accounting for half of these in the ATG group, and none in the MoAb group. Tolerance of both agents was good. Of the 33B3.1 recipients, 70% developed anti-33B3.1 antibodies. From these data, we conclude that this anti-IL-2 receptor MoAb seems less effective than rabbit ATG as induction treatment in second kidney transplant patients.

Cadaveric renal transplantation after 60 years of age. A single center experience

We report the outcome of 121 cadaveric renal transplants performed in our institution between September 1985 and April 1992 in 117 patients, aged 60-71 years (mean 63 years) at the time of transplantation. Compared to 640 patients 20-59 years of age transplanted during the same study period, a nonstatistically significant difference was observed in the 5-year actuarial patient (80% and 90%, respectively, in recipients over and under 60 years of age) and transplant (80% and 72%, respectively, in recipients over and under 60 years of age) survival rates. However, elderly patients had significantly lower survival than recipients 20-29 years of age (P < 0.009). Fourteen patients died (all but one with a functioning graft) due to cardiovascular diseases (5%; 42.8% of total deaths), infections (3%; 28.6% of total deaths), and gastrointestinal complications (3%; 28.6% of total deaths). Younger patients showed a similar and nonsignificantly different incidence of cardiovascular- (35%) and infectious-(30%) related deaths. The incidence of acute rejection episodes and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infectious episodes was 27% and 24%, respectively, during the 1st post-transplant year. Ongoing acute rejection and CMV infectious episodes were significantly higher in patients who died than in those still alive (P < 0.002 and P < 0.02, respectively). Cyclosporin maintenance therapy was well tolerated in all patients but one, and 64% of the patients could be maintained without steroids. These data indicate that cadaveric renal transplantation is a safe and effective procedure in the management of chronic renal failure of selected patients 60 years of age or older.

Prevention of acute rejection episodes with an anti-interleukin 2 receptor monoclonal antibody. I. Results after combined pancreas and kidney transplantation

A prospective, randomized trial was conducted to evaluate the short-term and long-term effects of induction immunosuppression with the rat IgG 2a monoclonal antibody 33B3.1, directed against the human alpha chain of the interleukin 2-receptor, following primary, cadaveric, combined pancreas and kidney transplantation. Forty patients were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg/day of 33B3.1 (n = 20) or 1.5 mg/kg/day of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (n = 20) for the first 10 postoperative days. Azathioprine, low-dose corticosteroids, and cyclosporine were given in association with either 33B3.1 or ATG. All 40 patients received the entire 10-day bioreagent course and no episode of rejection was observed during this period. Although the incidence of rejection did not significantly differ within the first, second, and third postoperative months (ten 33B3.1 and 6 ATG patients experienced, respectively, 10 and 6 rejection episodes within the first 3 months), the total number of 33B3.1 patients experiencing rejection throughout the follow-up was significantly higher than that of ATG (13 versus 6; P < 0.02). Immunological graft failure accounted for 2 pancreas and 2 kidney losses in the 33B3.1 group versus 1 in the ATG one (P = ns). The total number of infectious episodes was similar in both groups (21 versus 23). Two malignancies were observed in the ATG group (1 responsible for patient's death). One 33B3.1 patient died because of infectious pneumonia and 3 ATG patients died because of 2 cardiovascular diseases and 1 cancer. All patients had functioning grafts at the time of death. The 3-month and 36-month patient, pancreas, and kidney actuarial survival rates were, respectively, 100, 65, and 100%, and 95, 50, and 82% in the 33B3.1 group and 95, 80, and 90%, and 80, 70, and 80% in the ATG one (P = ns). These data suggest that, although a significantly higher rejection episode incidence was observed in patients treated with 33B3.1 monoclonal antibody as compared with ATG, similar long-term results can be obtained following primary cadaveric combined pancreas/kidney transplantation.

Prospective randomized comparison of University of Wisconsin and UW-modified, lacking hydroxyethyl-starch, cold-storage solutions in kidney transplantation

University of Wisconsin cold storage solution differs from Euro-Collins by the presence of adenosine, allopurinol, and hydroxyethyl starch, which maintains osmotic pressure. It is now experimentally and clinically well established that the use of UW solution is associated with better liver graft recovery parameters after prolonged cold ischemia time. However, it has been also suggested in animal experiments that HES might not be essential for optimal kidney preservation, at least when cold ischemia time remains within 48 hr. Herein, we present a randomized study comparing UW (n = 44) and a modified UW (UW-mod) (n = 44) solution lacking HES, adenosine, and allopurinol on kidney graft recovery parameters. Forty-one consecutive Euro-Collins flushed kidneys, transplanted immediately before this randomized trial, were used as historical controls. The results indicate that UW-mod was as efficient as UW in preserving the kidney in cold ischemia ranges that did not exceed 48 hr. Both solutions (UW and UW-mod) seemed more effective than Euro-Collins, based on the analysis of several parameters including the number of days until the creatinine was < 300 microM (P < 0.05), the level of the serum creatinine at one month (P < 0.02), and the Cockroft index (P < 0.04). Since UW-mod is three times less expensive than UW, we suggest that the simplified solution could be routinely used to preserve kidneys for transplantation.

Evidence that early acute renal failure may be mediated by CD3- CD16+ cells in a kidney graft recipient with large granular lymphocyte proliferation

We report here on a patient with a large granular lymphocyte proliferative disease who received a third kidney allograft. This patient presented a lymphocytosis (culminating at approximately 30,000/mm3) with a large proportion (approximately 70%) of CD3- WT31- CD2+ CD16+ lymphocytes. Five days after a kidney graft and during prophylactic treatment by Ortho pan OKT3, he presented an acute graft failure with an apparent interruption of graft blood flow as assessed by the Tc99 scan pattern and an arteriogram. The biopsy showed an abnormal accumulation of intravascular CD3- CD16+ cells bound to endothelial cells with thrombilike patterns in small and middle-sized arteries, whereas CD3+ mononucleated cells infiltrate was restricted to interstitium as observed in his previous graft, performed before the appearance of the lymphoproliferative disorder. The syndrome resolved spontaneously. The role of OKT3-mediated release of cytokines able to upregulate endothelial cell adhesion molecules in triggering this phenomenon is discussed.

Effect of the number of pregraft blood transfusions in kidney graft recipients treated with bioreagents and cyclosporin A

The impact of a systematic, nondonor-specific, pregraft blood transfusion (BT) protocol was evaluated retrospectively in 446 consecutive, first renal transplant recipients with regard to graft survival rate, rejection, and incidence of infectious episodes. Cyclosporin A was the maintenance immunosuppressive treatment in all patients after a 2-week course of antithymocyte globulin or anti-IL-2 monoclonal antibody. Recipients were assigned to three groups according to the number of pregraft BT (one or two, three or four, or more than four). When nonimmunological failures were excluded from the study, patients receiving three or four BT had statistically better graft survival (P less than 0.02) and a lower incidence of rejection episodes (P less than 0.05) than those in the other groups. There were no significant differences between the three groups in the distribution of HLA mismatching (A, B and DR), time interval between the last BT and transplantation, DR6 recipient phenotype, or nonimmunological failures. Our results show that the number of pregraft BT is an important factor in transplantation.

Recurrent nephrotic syndrome following renal transplantation in patients with focal glomerulosclerosis. A one-center study of plasma exchange effects

Forty seven renal allografts performed over a period of 12 years in 43 recipients with chronic renal failure due to biopsy-proved focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS, 5.34% from 888 cadaveric renal transplantations) were reviewed. Recurrence of the disease was suspected in 14 grafts (29.8%) on the basis of immediate proteinuria, but recurrence of FGS lesions was demonstrated in only 7 patients. The remaining 7 patients had minimal-change nephropathy or mesangial hyperplasia. The duration of renal disease before transplantation was a clear predictive risk factor of FGS recurrence, and mesangial hyperplasia in the native kidneys was associated with 50% risk of FGS recurrence. Some reports have suggested that plasma exchange may be beneficial in the treatment of FGS recurrence. Our experience, in 9 patients, indicates that plasma exchange initiated early in the course of recurrent proteinuria leads to transient but significant disappearance (2 cases) or decrease (5 cases) of proteinuria, with a return to pre-plasma exchange levels within 2 weeks after the end of treatment. In 2 cases, there was no beneficial effect on proteinuria. Plasma exchange efficacy was correlated with proteinuria levels relative to disease severity. Although plasma exchange does not seem to improve the outcome of FGS recurrence, it demonstrates the possible presence of circulating factor(s) and argues for the characterization of humoral mediator(s).

Effect of anti-LFA1 (CD11a) monoclonal antibodies in acute rejection in human kidney transplantation

A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody, 25-3 (Immunotech, France), directed against the alpha chain (CD11a) of the human LFA1 molecule was used in the treatment of 7 histologically documented first acute rejection in first kidney transplantations under cyclosporine. Four patients (group I) received 20 mg/day for 2 days and 10 mg/day for 8 days of 25-3 MoAb. One developed Quincke's edema after the first injection of 25-3 and was immediately withdrawn from the study. In 2 patients, whose serum creatinine continued to increase, 25-3 MoAb was replaced by steroids, followed by ALG after 3 and 4 days of treatment, respectively. In the last case, rejection was reversed by 25-3 MoAb alone. As the clinical response of rejection to 25-3 was poor, another group of 3 patients (group II) was treated with 25-3 at a dose of 40 mg/day for 2 days, 20 mg/day for 2 days, and 10 mg/day for 6 days, but 25-3 was still unsuccessful in reversing acute rejection, and rescue treatment was initiated between days 5 and 8 in all cases. MoAb tolerance was excellent in 3 patients. With the exception of the one case of Quincke's edema, only minor side effects were noted in the last 3 recipients. 25-3 MoAb serum trough levels peaked between 1.5-3.5 micrograms/ml at day 3 in group I and between 2-9 micrograms/L at day 2 in group II. Surprisingly, only one patient, in group I, exhibited a borderline IgG immune response against 25-3. These findings suggest that the 25-3 anti-CD11a MoAb is ineffective in controlling the course of acute rejection in kidney transplantation. However as already reported for another anti-LFA1 or with an anti-CD4 MoAb in mouse, 25-3 would be the first example in humans of a MoAb that does not elicit a strong immune response against its own determinants. This property might have important applications if 25-3 can prevent rejection in a prophylactic protocol or block the immune response against other MoAbs.

[Surgical experience with 50 transplantations of neoprene-occluded segmental pancreas. Technique and postoperative complications]

Since the beginning of our pancreas transplantation program in November, 1987, 50 patients have received a segmental intraperitoneal neoprene-occluded pancreas graft and a contralateral kidney graft. The aim of this study is to present our surgical technique and the postoperative complications encountered. Operation in the donor: subtotal pancreatectomy is performed. A venous patch is preserved at the end of the splenic vein. The splenic artery is removed with a patch taken from the end of the celiac trunk and the origin of the common hepatic artery, even in case of right (n = 1) or left (n = 4) hepatic artery. The canal is injected with neoprene (2 to 3 cc) ex vivo and the pancreatic parenchyma is recut after stappling. Operation in the recipient: the transplant is inserted in an extraperitoneal location, between the bladder and the pubic arch, then anastomosed to the external iliac vessels.

RESULTS

All pancreas grafts functioned immediately. All patients but 3 are alive at present. Seven pancreas transplants were lost postoperatively due to venous thrombosis (n = 3), hemorrhage (n = 3) and death at D27 (n = 1). Many patients developed peripancreatic fluid collections and/or fistulae (the most frequent complication, probably due to the extraperitoneal site of transplantation). The actuarial survival rate of the patients, kidneys and pancreas after 2 years is 96%, 92% and 80%, respectively.

Assessment of coronary artery disease by thallium scan in type-1 diabetic uremic patients awaiting combined pancreas and renal transplantation

Twenty-five type-1 diabetic uremic patients (14 men, 11 women, mean age forty +/- eleven years, range, nineteen to sixty) were prospectively analyzed for coronary artery disease (CAD) by thallium scan (TLS) before synchronus pancreas and kidney transplantation. Duration of diabetes ranged from ten to thirty-two years (mean twenty-two +/- five). Fifteen patients (60%) were in dialysis from two to sixty months (mean twenty +/- eighteen). Advanced diabetic degenerative complications were present in all patients. Twenty exercise and five pharmacologic thallium scans were performed. Forty-four percent of patients (6 men, 5 women, mean age forty-two +/- eleven years, range, twenty-six to sixty) had a positive (reversible or permanent defects) TLS. In 2/11 cases, severe CAD required further cardiac investigations for therapeutic management decision. A statistical correlation with resting ECG nonspecific ST-segment and T-wave abnormalities was observed (p less than 0.05) despite the absence of angor in 8 of the 11 patients. On the contrary, no statistical correlations were found regarding high blood pressure, smoking, hypercholesterolemia, duration of diabetes, and duration of dialysis. In this particular diabetic population (young age, male/female ratio = 1.2) with high incidence of silent ischemia, resting ECG repolarization abnormalities, though predictive, were not specific or prognostic of CAD severity; in these cases, exercise and pharmacologic TLS, a noninvasive and sensitive cardiovascular test, may be of great interest in diagnosis of CAD, allowing adequate cardiac management before, during, and after pancreas transplantation.