Extracorporeal Photopheresis as an Antirejection Prophylaxis in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Preliminary Results.
Kusztal M, Koscielska-Kasprzak K, et al.Transplantation Proceedings, 43(8): 2938-2940, 2011.
Aims
To investigate the biological responses of kidney transplant recipients who received conventional immunosuppressive therapy plus extracorporeal photopheresis procedures.
Interventions
Patients were assigned randomly to 12 to 16 applications of extracorporeal photopheresis for 3 months following kidney transplantation versus control. All patients received conventional immunosuppressive therapy comprising mycophenolate mofetil or sodium plus calcineurin inhibitor and prednisone.
Participants
20 renal transplant recipients who received kidneys from 10 cadaveric donors.
Outcomes
Estimated glomerular filtration rate, biopsy-proven acute rejection and peripheral blood mononuclear cell counts and phenotype (T cells, B cells, natural killer, Treg and dendritic cells).
Follow-up
6 months post-transplantation
CET Conclusions
The authors have transplanted 20 patients with kidneys from 10 donors and assigned 10 recipients (not clear if randomised or not) either to extracorporeal photopheresis for 3 months following transplantation or not, in addition to relatively conventional immunosuppression. There may be a modest improvement in renal function at 6 months and the authors also state that there is an increase in Treg cells after the 3 months of photopheresis treatment. The authors conclude that the preliminary results are promising. That is a fair assessment and one can say no more.
Data analysis
Per protocol analysis
Trial registration
Not reported