Secondary survey on the use of Rituximab for intestinal transplantation

Abstract

A detailed survey for rituximab treatment for intestinal transplant was performed in 5 institutions where the intestinal transplant was carried out in Japan. Rituximab was used as a desensitization therapy for Donor Specific Antigen (DSA) positive recipients or as a treatment for antibody-mediated rejection. One case of each was reported from one institution. Rituximab has had certain effects such as preventing DSA from becoming negative and re-positive. As the number of re-transplanted cases increases, many DSA-positive cases are observed, and the use of rituximab seems to be essential. Furthermore, in intestinal transplantation, the incidence of chronic rejection is higher than in other solid organ transplants and rituximab may have a benefit on prognosis; therefore, rituximab is an essential drug for the intestinal transplant.