2008 Volume 21 Issue 2 Pages 208-211
Splenectomy has been considered to be necessary for successful ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation. However splenectomy can lead to severe complications for children.
We report here a case of 12-year old boy who received ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation without splenectomy using rituximab. We started MMF/MP desensitization a month before the transplantation. Two doses of rituximab were administered at 12 and 2 days before the transplantaition. It has already been 3 years since the successful transplantation without any severe side effects.
The recovery of the B-cell population was much earlier than adults treated with same protocol, however, it may be still over dose for children since only a few weeks of immunosuppression is required for the acquisition of immunological accommodation. Further investigations are necessary to determine a suitable dosage of rituximab for children.
