Management of Patients after Renal Graft Loss: An Open Question for Nephrologists

Management of Immunosuppression After Kidney Transplant Failure: Effect on Patient Sensitization

BACKGROUND

Immunosuppressive treatment is often interrupted in the first months following kidney transplant failure (KTF) to limit side effects. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of prolonged treatment (PT) of more than 3 months' duration after KTF on HLA sensitization and treatment tolerance.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective observational study involving 119 patients with KTF in 3 French kidney transplant centers between June 2007 and June 2017. Sensitization was defined as the development of HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSA).

RESULTS

In the PT group receiving calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treatment, 30 of 52 patients (57.7%) were sensitized vs 52 of 67 patients (77.6%) who had early cessation of treatment (P = .02). The results were confirmed by multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.16; 0.98], P = .04). The development of de novo DSAs after CNI treatment (n = 63/90 [70.0%]) was significantly more frequent than during CNI treatment, (n = 18/52 [34.6%], P = .01). Panel-reactive antibody ≥85% was lower in the PT group in multivariate analysis (OR = 0.28, 95% CI [0.10; 0.78], P = .02). No differences in the rates of infection, cardiovascular complications, neoplasia, and deaths were observed between the 2 groups. In multivariate analysis, continuation of corticosteroid treatment had no influence on sensitization but was associated with a higher rate of infection (OR = 2.66, 95% CI [1.09; 6.46], P = .03).

CONCLUSION

Maintenance of CNI treatment after return to dialysis in patients requesting a repeat transplant could avoid the development of anti-HLA sensitization with a good tolerance.

[Kidney nephrectomy after allograft failure]

The number of kidney-transplant patients that return to dialysis therapy after a failed kidney allograft is increasing sharply. These patients differ from patients treated with chronic dialysis, but who have never received a transplant; i.e., former transplanted patients display a higher risk of morbidity-mortality, particularly from cardiovascular and infectious complications. The management of immunosuppression has not been codified for patients with a failed kidney allograft: immunosuppressive therapy can be either abruptly stopped or progressively reduced. In addition, nephrectomy of the failed allograft is debatable. Some advocate this procedure only when there is intolerance, e.g., gross hematuria, local pain, or unexplained inflammatory syndrome. In contrast, others propose a systematic nephrectomy, mainly to reveal anti-HLA antibodies within peripheral blood that may have been adsorbed within the failed allograft, and are not detected, even using sensitive techniques. Prospective studies are warranted to answer these issues.