title: Effect of donor-specific transfusions on the outcome of renal allografts in the cyclosporine era.
abstract: Despite the introduction of new immunosuppressive agents, a steady decline of functioning renal allografts after living donation is observed. Thus nonpharmacological strategies to prevent graft loss have to be reconsidered, including donor-specific transfusions (DST). We introduced a cyclosporine-based DST protocol for renal allograft recipients from living-related/unrelated donation. From 1993 to 2003, 200 ml of whole blood, or the respective mononuclear cells from the potential living donor were administered twice to all of our 61 recipient candidates. The transplanted subjects were compared with three groups of patients without DST from the Collaborative Transplant Study (Heidelberg, Germany) during a 6-year period. Six patients were sensitized without delay for a subsequent cadaveric kidney. DST patients had less often treatment for rejection and graft survival was superior compared with subjects from the other Swiss transplant centers (n = 513) or from Western Europe (n = 7024). To diminish the probability that superior results reflect patient selection rather than effects of DST, a 'matched-pair' analysis controlling for relevant factors of transplant outcome was performed. Again, this analysis indicated that recipients with DST had better outcome. Thus, our observation suggests that DST improve the outcome of living kidney transplants even when modern immunosuppressive drugs are prescribed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. hpmarti@bluewin.ch
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Marti
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Henschkowski
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laux
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Opelz
authors.forename: Felix J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006650:Histocompatibility Testing; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014019:Tissue Donors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine