Pre-emptive immunosuppression using tacrolimus monotherapy does not reduce the rate of early acute rejection in renal transplantation from live donors: a comparative cohort study |
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Authors: | Michael L. Nicholson Mekhola Hoff Philippa Leighton Ismail Mohamed Sarah A. Hosgood |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Surgery, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK;2. Leicester General Hospital, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK |
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Abstract: | The planned nature of live donor kidney transplantation allows for immunosuppression to be initiated in the pretransplant period. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pre-emptive immunosuppression on acute rejection rates after live donor kidney transplantation. In two consecutive cohorts of live donor kidneys transplants, 99 patients received pre-emptive immunosuppression with tacrolimus monotherapy for 2 weeks prior to transplantation (PET group – first era) and 100 patients received tacrolimus-based immunosuppression commencing on the day of transplantation (control group – second era). The main outcome measure was the incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) in the first 3 months post-transplantation. Tacrolimus levels were significantly higher in the PET group at day 4 post-transplant (PET 9.08 ± 4.57 vs. control 5.92 ± 3.64 ng/ml; P < 0.0001), but there were no significant differences in tacrolimus levels at day 7 (PET 8.22 ± 3.58 vs. control 7.63 ± 3.56 ng/ml; P = 0.2452). BPAR was numerically higher in the PET group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (PET 13/99 vs. control 6/100; P = 0.097). There were no differences in allograft function measured by serum creatinine at 1 year (PET 130 ± 36 vs. control 142 ± 69 μmol/l; P = 0.6829). Graft survival at 1 year was equivalent in both groups (PET 96.9 vs. control 97.0%; P = 0.9915). This study suggests that there is little role for the use of pre-emptive tacrolimus monotherapy in ABO blood group and HLA-compatible live donor kidney transplantation in patients on triple maintenance immunosuppression. |
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Keywords: | acute rejection living donation pre-emptive immunosuppression renal transplantation tacrolimus |
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