Long-term maintenance immunosuppressive regimen with tacrolimus monotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcome of kidney transplant recipients on monotherapy with calcineurin inhibitors has been poorly analyzed. This study aimed to describe the long-term outcome of patients on Tac monotherapy (mTac) and to compare this regimen to a standard dual therapy with Tac/MMF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 84 consecutive first kidney recipients transplanted between 1998 and 2003 and followed until 2010. Patients were treated with mTac after the 6th month of transplantation. Survival and incidence of adverse events were analyzed and compared to those of patients treated with Tac/MMF as maintenance regimen after the 6th month of transplantation. RESULTS: Mean follow-up of the mTac cohort was 8.7 ± 2.2 years. Overall patient and graft survival of the mTac cohort was 91.3% and 86.6%, respectively, at year 8 posttransplant. Tac monotherapy was started in 93.3% of patients at month 6 posttransplant and maintained in 50% of the cohort at the end of the follow-up period. Incidence of acute rejection (AR) and chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) were 11.9% and 16.6%, respectively. Kaplan-Meyer analysis did not show any difference in patient and graft survival between mTac patients and patients under Tac/MMF. At year 6, compared to Tac/MMF patients, mTac patients had a significantly lower incidence of AR after the 6th month posttransplant and no difference in CAN, cancer, NODAT, and cardiovascular events incidence. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests that long-term maintenance immunosuppression with mTac is safe in low-immunological risk patients and should be considered for use especially in patients with MMF intolerance.

Impact of donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies on graft failure and survival after reduced intensity conditioning-unrelated cord blood transplantation: a Eurocord, Société Francophone d'Histocompatibilité et d'Immunogénétique (SFHI) and Société Française de Greffe de Moelle et de Thérapie Cellulaire (SFGM-TC) analysis.

Graft failure is a major complication after unrelated cord blood transplantation. Presence of HLA-antibodies before cord blood transplantation may impact graft failure. To analyze the effect of anti-HLA antibodies on unrelated cord blood transplantation outcomes, we analyzed 294 unrelated cord blood transplant recipients after reduced intensity conditioning regimen. The majority of the patients (82%) were transplanted for malignancies, 60% with double-unrelated cord blood transplant, 63% were HLA mismatched. Retrospectively, pre-unrelated cord blood transplant serum was tested for HLA-Ab using Luminex™ platform. Results were interpreted as mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) against donor-specific mismatch. Among 62 recipients (23%) who had anti-HLA antibodies before unrelated cord blood transplant, 14 patients had donor specific anti-HLA antibodies (DSA) (7 were donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies for single unrelated cord blood transplant and 7 for double unrelated cord blood transplant). Donor specific anti-HLA antibodies threshold ranged from 1620-17629 of mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). Cumulative incidence of Day-60 neutrophil engraftment was 76%: 44% for recipients with donor specific anti-HLA antibodies and 81% in those without donor specific anti-HLA antibodies (P=0.006). The cumulative incidence of 1-year transplant related mortality was 46% in patients with donor specific anti-HLA antibodies and 32% in those without antibodies (P=0.06). The presence of donor specific anti-HLA antibodies was associated with a trend for decreased survival rate (42% vs. 29%; P=0.07). Donor specific anti-HLA antibody in recipients of unrelated cord blood transplant is associated with graft failure and decreased survival. Patient's screening for donor specific anti-HLA antibodies before unrelated cord blood transplantation is recommended before choosing an HLA mismatched cord blood unit. Whenever possible it is important to avoid selecting a unit for which the patient has donor specific anti-HLA antibodies.