title: Relationship between Post-kidney Transplantation Antithymocyte Globulin Therapy and Wound Healing Complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wound healing disorders are probably the most common post-transplantation surgical complications. It is thought that wound healing disturbance occurs due to antiproliferative effects of immunosuppressive drugs. On the other hand, success of transplantation is dependent on immunosuppressive therapies. Antihuman thymocyte globulin (ATG) has been widely used as induction therapy but the impact of this treatment on wound healing is not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate wound healing complications after ATG therapy in renal transplant recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 333 kidney transplant recipients were assessed for wound healing disorders. Among these patients, 92 received ATG and 5 doses of 1.5 mg/kg ATG along with the standard protocol of drugs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 38.9 years. Of 333 recipients, 92 (23.7%) received ATG; 21 (6.3%) developed wound healing complications. There was a significant relationship between ATG therapy and wound complications (p=0.034). Also, women were more likely to develop wound healing disorders than men (p=0.002). No statistical difference was observed between age and wound healing complication (p=0.28). There was no significant difference between the mean duration of hospitalization between ATG and Non-ATG group (p=0.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ATG increases the risk of overall wound complications. It is needed to pay more attention to the patients treated with this immunosuppressant to avoid the risk of re-interventions, lessen the duration of hospitalization and decrease the impairment of graft function.
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Pourmand
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saraji
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Students' Scientific Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khaki
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran ; Students' Scientific Research Center, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehrsai
authors.affiliation: Urology Research Center, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sajadi
keywords: Antithymocyte globulin; Kidney transplantation; Wound healing complication