title: Changes in anti-HLA antibody titers more than 1 year after desensitization therapy with rituximab in living-donor kidney transplantation.
abstract: One hundred sixty-five kidney transplantations were performed from January 2005 to December 2007 at our hospital. Low-dose rituximab was administered to 78 patients as an induction immunosuppressant. Of the 78, 48 were donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA)-positive, and the changes in the anti-HLA antibody titers could be followed up postoperatively in 35 of these patients. Anti-HLA antibodies belonging to HLA class 1 and HLA class 2 were depleted by 74% and 86%, respectively, and remained depleted for more than 2 years. Although there were no cases of graft loss, one patient suffered from chronic AMR. Thus, we could control DSA for at least a few years after kidney transplantation using rituximab as desensitization therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan. himmeno1192@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shirakawa
authors.forename: Tomokazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanabe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010956:Plasmapheresis; D000069283:Rituximab
chemical_list: D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007518:Isoantibodies; D000069283:Rituximab