Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Antibody-mediated rejection following renal transplantation.

Sureshkumar KK, Hussain SM, Carpenter BJ, Sandroni SE, Marcus RJ

Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, USA. ksureshk@wpahs.org

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) accounts for 20-30% of all acute rejection episodes following renal transplantation. AMR is generally less responsive to conventional anti-rejection therapy, resulting in poor allograft survival. Introduction of C4d immunostaining of renal allograft biopsies and the demonstration of donor-specific antibodies in the recipients have increased our ability to diagnose AMR. Therapeutic options are evolving and include plasmapheresis, intravenous immunoglobulin, immunoadsorption and rituximab, together with intensification of immunosuppression with a tacrolimus/mycophenolate mofetil combination. Future studies might further define optimal therapeutic approach in renal transplant recipients presenting with AMR.

Published 2 May 2007 in Expert Opin Pharmacother, 8(7): 913-21.
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