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Treatment of renal allograft rejection by exchange plasma‐ lymphocytapheresis
Author(s) -
Kurland J,
Franklin S,
Goldfinger D
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1980.20380214903.x
Subject(s) - plasmapheresis , medicine , azathioprine , immunology , antibody , disease
Therapy for acute renal allograft rejection generally consists of administration of high doses of corticosteroids along with cytotoxic drugs. Failure of this treatment usually dictates removal of the graft. We describe a patient who was rejecting a renal transplant from his HLA‐ identical, mixed lymphocyte culture‐compatible brother. This acute rejection episode was unresponsive to three days of therapy with high doses of steroids, azathioprine and coumadin. The patient rapidly improved following intensive exchange plasmapheresis and lymphocytapheresis. This therapy produced depletion of immunoglobulins, complement components, coagulation factors and circulating lymphocytes, and resulted in dramatic improvement in renal function and reversal of the rejection crisis. We suggest that intensive pheresis may represent an important adjunct to currently available therapy for the treatment of acute renal allograft rejection.