The fate of renal allografts treated with OKT3 for steroid-resistant rejection

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term effects of the monoclonal antibody anti-CD3 (OKT3), used to treat steroid-resistant acute renal allograft rejection, on allograft function and long-term allograft and patient survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 231 kidney transplants from living and cadaver donors and with prednisone, azathioprine and cyclosporin used for baseline immunosuppression. Diagnosis of acute rejection was based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Sixty-three (27.2%) patients did not present acute rejection, 135 (58.4%) presented steroid-sensitive rejection, and 33 (14.2%) received OKT3 as a rescue therapy for steroid-resistant rejection. We evaluated demographic data, serum creatinine, and allograft and patient survival up to the 5th posttransplant year, as well as causes of graft loss and patient death.

RESULTS: Vascular anastomosis time and prevalence of  acute tubular necrosis were significantly higher in OKT3- reated patients. Average serum creatinine was not different between steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant patients. Graft survival in the first year was poorer in the OKT3 group as compared to the non-rejection (P = 0.001) and steroidsensitive rejection (P = 0.04) groups; there was no difference, however, in the survival up to the 5th posttransplant year. In transplants from cadaver donors, graft survival was statistically different only between OKT3 and non-rejection patients. Patient survival did not differ between the 3 groups up to the end of the follow-up. There were no differences in causes of graft loss, but the proportion of deaths associated with infection was greater in patients treated with OKT3.

CONCLUSIONS: OKT3 used for rescue therapy in steroid--resistant acute rejection was not associated with poorer renal graft function or survival over the 5-year follow-up period. However, graft survival in the first year was significantly poorer in patients that needed OKT3. The use of a more potent immunosuppression did not result in higher mortality rates up to the 5th year of posttransplant, but OKT3-treated recipients presented a higher incidence of deaths related to infection.