2020 Volume 55 Issue 1 Pages 39-50
A retrospective survey was conducted to assess the status of organ transplantation in patients with pre-formed donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies and the implementation of desensitization with rituximab in Japan. We obtained the data from 227 institutions for procedures performed between 2013 and 2016 for kidney transplantation and between 2001 and 2016 for transplantation of other organs, including the liver, pancreas, heart, lung, and intestine.
Results showed pre-formed donor-specific antibodies (DSA) in recipients of 529 transplanted kidneys; rituximab was used in 462 of those transplantations. Rituximab was used in 48 of 135 liver transplantations in recipients with pre-formed DSA and in 1 of 1 small intestine transplantation involving pre-formed DSA. Such DSA was also reported in 5 heart transplants and 4 lung transplants. However, rituximab was not used for desensitization in any of those procedures.
We also report on detection and assay of anti-HLA antibodies and DSA, criteria for transplantation, dosage of rituximab, and concomitant immunosuppressive drugs used at the institutions.
