Immunosuppressant withdrawal for the management of severe infection in liver transplantation recipients / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effectiveness and safety of temporary immunosuppressant withdrawal for the management of severe infection after liver transplantation.Methods Fifty-one patients with severe infection after liver transplantation were divided into control group (24 cases) and withdrawal group (27 cases ) according to the immunosuppression protocol.In the withdrawal group, the immunosuppressive drugs were temporarily suspended according to ATP values of CD4 + T cell and CD4 + T lymphocyte subsets counting until infection was controlled.The liver function,the incidence of acute rejection and the graft survival rate were monitored during the process.The side effects were observed.Result Severe infection was cured in 39 patients.There were 9 deaths in the control group in which the immunosuppressant was continued during the course of infection and 3 in the withdrawal group,respectively.The median suspension of immunosuppressant in trial group was ( 15.5 ± 4.8 ) d ( 6 ～ 22 d) ; CD4 + T lymphocyte subsets counting rose from (65.60 ± 32.58)/μl to (103.04 ± 12.39)/μl,ATP values of CD4 + T cell rose from (79 ±23) μg/L to ( 112 ± 11 ) μg/L; meanwhile,the temperature dropped from (38.3 ± 1.2) ℃ to (36.4 ± 1.1) ℃,WBC dropped from (15.7 ± 4.4) × 109/L to (6.3 ± 3.8) × 109/L,CRP dropped from ( 153.4 ± 37.1 ) mg/L to ( 16.5 ± 4.8) mg/L.During the course of treatment and follow-up,liver function of patients in the trial group remained normal and no acute rejection occurred.Compared with the control group,the temperature recovery time in the trial group was shorter ( respectively F =5.32,8.37,9.12,all P ＜ 0.05) and the therapeutic outcome was better.Conclusions The cellular immune function test could be evaluated according to the ATP values of CD4 + T cell and CD4 + T lymphocyte subsets counting.For severe infection after liver transplantation, anti-infection treatment and simultaneously withdrawing immunosuppressants help to control the infection.