Use of Basiliximab and Daclizumab in Kidney Transplantation

Standard induction with basiliximab versus no induction in low immunological risk kidney transplant recipients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Induction therapy with IL-2 receptor antagonist (IL2-RA) is recommended as a first-line agent in low immunological risk kidney transplant recipients. However, the role of IL2-RA in the setting of tacrolimus-based immunosuppression has not been fully investigated.

AIMS

To compare different induction therapeutic strategies with 2 doses of basiliximab vs. no induction in low immunologic risk kidney transplant recipients as per KFSHRC protocol.

METHODS

Prospective, randomized, double blind, non-inferiority, controlled clinical trial EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 1. Primary outcomes: Biopsy-proven acute rejection within first year following transplant 2.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

a. Patient and graft survival at 1 year b. eGFR at 6 months and at 12 months c. Emergence of de novo donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study has been prospectively registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NTC: 04404127). Registered on 27 May 2020.

Ozanimod to Treat Relapsing Forms of Multiple Sclerosis: A Comprehensive Review of Disease, Drug Efficacy and Side Effects

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent and debilitating neurologic condition characterized by widespread neurodegeneration and the formation of focal demyelinating plaques in the central nervous system. Current therapeutic options are complex and attempt to manage acute relapse, modify disease, and manage symptoms. Such therapies often prove insufficient alone and highlight the need for more targeted MS treatments with reduced systemic side effect profiles. Ozanimod is a novel S1P (sphingosine-1-phosphate) receptor modulator used for the treatment of clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing–remitting, and secondary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. It selectively modulates S1P1 and S1P5 receptors to prevent autoreactive lymphocytes from entering the CNS where they can promote nerve damage and inflammation. Ozanimod was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for the management of multiple sclerosis in March 2020 and has been proved to be both effective and well tolerated. Of note, ozanimod is associated with the following complications: increased risk of infections, liver injury, fetal risk, increased blood pressure, respiratory effects, macular edema, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, among others. Further investigation including head-to-head clinical trials is warranted to evaluate the efficacy of ozanimod compared with other S1P1 receptor modulators.

Pregnancy in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Women with end-stage kidney disease commonly have difficulty conceiving through spontaneous pregnancy, and many suffer from infertility. Kidney transplantation restores the impairment in fertility and increases the possibility of pregnancy. In addition, the number of female kidney transplant recipients of reproductive age has been increasing. Thus, preconception counseling, contraceptive management, and family planning are of great importance in the routine care of this population. Pregnancy in kidney transplant recipients is complicated by underlying maternal comorbidities, kidney allograft function, the effect of pregnancy on the transplanted kidney, and the effect of the maternal health on the fetus, in addition to immunosuppressive medications and their potential teratogenesis. Given the potential maternal and fetal risks, and possible complications during pregnancy, pretransplant and prepregnancy counseling for women of reproductive age are crucial, including delivery of information regarding contraception and timing for pregnancy, fertility and pregnancy rates, the risk of immunosuppression on the fetus, the risk of kidney allograft, and other maternal complications. In this article, we discuss aspects related to pregnancy among kidney transplant recipients and their management.

Basiliximab induction therapy for live donor kidney transplantation: a long-term follow-up of prospective randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The effect of basiliximab induction therapy on long-term patient and graft survival is not yet clear. We aimed to evaluate if there is any advantage of routine basiliximab induction on the long-term outcome of living related donor kidney transplantation.

METHODS

One hundred adult recipients with their first kidney allograft were randomized into two treatment groups, one group received basiliximab and the second served as a control. All patients received a maintenance triple immunosuppressive therapy (steroids, cyclosporine (CsA) micro-emulsion and azathioprine) and were followed up thoroughly for 7 years.

RESULTS

Basiliximab significantly reduced the proportion of patients who experienced acute rejection in the first year (18/50) when compared to the control group (31/50), and in 7 years (28/50) when compared to (37/50) in controls. The cumulative steroid dose used throughout the whole study period was significantly lower in the basiliximab group. The overall incidence of post-transplant complications was comparable among the two treatment groups. There was no significant difference in patient or graft survival; 7 years patient and graft survival were 92, 76% for basiliximab and 92, 80% for the control group, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Routine basiliximab induction significantly reduced the incidence of acute rejection without any noticeble beneficial effect on the long-term renal transplantation outcome.

Progress in the clinical application of immunosuppressive drugs in renal transplantation

Although only very few new immunosuppressive drugs have been approved over the past two decades, the introduction of each new drug has progressively reduced the incidence of acute rejection and raised hopes that there would be an increase in long-term allograft survival. It is now consistently possible to achieve acute rejection rates of between 10 and 20%, and in many studies the rate has fallen below 10%. This is important, as acute rejection is one of the most important factors reducing the long-term survival of the allograft as a consequence of the development of chronic allograft nephropathy. The availability of these new agents has allowed experimentation with diverse protocols that explore the possibility of reduced exposure to calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids. These include both 'avoidance' and 'withdrawal' protocols. The target of rapamycin inhibitors, sirolimus and everolimus, have extended this paradigm. It is possible, but not yet proved, that their antiproliferative effect on smooth muscle will retard the vascular remodelling characteristic of chronic allograft nephropathy, atherosclerosis and hypertension. This review concentrates on the current progress being made in clinical immunosuppression, and includes data presented at the Transplant 2001 meeting of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, held in May 2001.