Outcome of patients without any immunosuppressive therapy after renal allograft failure

Abstract EN

Continuation of low-dose maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in endstage renal allografts (ESRAs) that are left in situ is controversial.

We studied the outcome of 85 patients (mean age 33.3 ± 13.4 and range of 12-56 years) on hemodialysis with ESRAs, and without immunosuppressive therapy in our center from July 1991 to July 2003.

Twelve (14.1%) study patients underwent allograft nephrectomy within a mean interval of 44.5 months after graft failure.

The rest of the patients remained stable without fever, hematuria, graft tenderness, or localized edema during a mean interval of 46.5 ± 45.2 months of follow-up.

These results are promising and suggest that maintenance immunosuppressive therapy in patients with ESRAs and on dialysis may not be necessary to avoid allograft nephrectomy.

Prospective studies are warranted to substantiate these results.