Long-term outcome of early steroid withdrawal in pediatric renal transplantation

BACKGROUND

Steroid use in renal transplant is related to multiple adverse effects. Long-term effects of early withdrawal steroids in pediatric renal transplant were assessed.

METHODS

Renal transplant children with low immunological risk treated on basiliximab, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate with steroid withdrawal or steroid control were evaluated between 2003 and 2019. Clinical variables, treatment adherence, acute rejection, graft loss, and death were analyzed through hazard ratios, and Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

The study included 152 patients, 71.1% steroid withdrawal, mean follow-up 8.5 years, 64.5% structural abnormalities, and 81.6% deceased donor. At 12 years of transplant, event-free survival analysis for graft loss or death showed no significant difference between steroid withdrawal and control steroid treatment (85.9% vs. 80.4%, p = .36) nor in acute rejection at 10 years (18.5% vs. 20.5%, p = .78) or in donor-specific antibody appearance (19.6% vs. 21.4%, p = .98). Delta height Z-score was increased in the steroid withdrawal group (p < .01). The main predictor of graft loss or death was non-adherence to treatment (p = .001; OR: 17.5 [3.3-90.9]).

CONCLUSIONS

Steroid withdrawal therapy was effective and safe for low-risk pediatric renal transplant in long-term evaluation. Non-adherence was the main predictor of graft loss or death.

Infectious disease risks in pediatric renal transplantation

Renal transplantation is a vital treatment option in children with ESRD with more than 10,000 pediatric kidney transplants and survival rates of greater than 80% at 10 years post-transplant in the USA alone. Despite these advances, infection remains a significant cause of morbidity in pediatric recipients. Screening potential organ donors and recipients is imperative to identify and mitigate infectious risks in the transplant patient. Despite the unique risks of each patient, the timing of many infections post-transplant is predictable. In early post-transplant infections (within 30 days), bacterial and fungal pathogens predominate with donor-derived events and nosocomial infections. In the intermediate period (31-180 days after transplant), latent infections from donor organs, such as EBV and CMV, develop. Late infections occurring > 180 days after the transplant can be due to latent pathogens or community-acquired organisms. Approaching an infectious evaluation in a pediatric kidney recipient requires finesse to diagnose and treat this vulnerable population in a timely manner. The following article highlights the most relevant and common infections including clinical manifestations, risk factors, diagnostic techniques, and treatment options.