Should heart, lung, and liver transplant recipients receive immunosuppression induction for kidney transplantation?

Clin Transplant. 2010 Jan-Feb;24(1):67-72. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2009.00973.x. Epub 2009 Feb 17.

Abstract

As the outcomes of heart, liver, and lung transplantation continue to improve, more patients will present for subsequent renal transplantation. It remains unclear whether these patients benefit from induction immunosuppression. We retrospectively reviewed induction on solid organ graft recipients who underwent renal transplant at our center from January 1, 1995 to March 30, 2007. Induction and the non-induction groups were compared by univariate and Kaplan-Meier analyses. There were 21 patients in each group, with mean follow-up of 4.5-6.0 years. Forty-seven percent of patients receiving induction had a severe post-operative infection, compared with 28.6% in the non-induction group (p = NS). The one yr rejection rate in the induction group was 9.5% compared with 14.3% for non-induction (p = NS). One-yr graft survival was 81.0% and 95.2% in the induction and non-induction group (p = NS). In summary, there is a trend toward lower patient and graft survival among patients undergoing induction. These trends could relate to selection bias in the decision to prescribe induction immunosuppression, but further study is needed to better define the risks and benefits of antibody-induction regimens in this population.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Female
  • Graft Survival
  • Heart Diseases / complications
  • Heart Diseases / immunology
  • Heart Diseases / surgery
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy / methods*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / complications
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / mortality
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / surgery*
  • Liver Diseases / complications
  • Liver Diseases / immunology
  • Liver Diseases / surgery
  • Lung Diseases / complications
  • Lung Diseases / immunology
  • Lung Diseases / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Organ Transplantation*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents