Photopheresis therapy for problematic renal allograft rejection

Photopheresis is an immunomodulatory therapy for the treatment of T cell-mediated disorders. It has been used for rejection prophylaxis in cardiac transplantation, adjuvant treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans in lung transplantation, treatment of graft verse host disease, and in a small number of cases, for treatment of acute rejection in renal transplantation. Little is known of long-term outcomes following the use of photopheresis in solid organ transplantation.

We report prospective follow-up of our consecutive experience of the use of photopheresis as adjuvant/salvage therapy for problematic rejection in patients undergoing renal transplantation. Transplant graft survival, infective and malignant outcomes were reported.

A cohort of 10 renal transplants recipients received photopheresis therapy for therapy-resistant rejection. Conventional therapy included an average of 6.2 g pulse methyl-prednisolone and 17.1 days antilymphocyte therapy. The cohort received additional photopheresis therapy when the unresponsive nature of their rejections raised concerns of graft loss. Median follow-up censored for patient loss was 66.7 months following photopheresis commencement. Rejection resolved in association with photopheresis use in all 10 patients. Six patients continued to have stable graft function (median serum creatinine: 191.5 micromol/L) at a median follow-up of 71.0 months. There has been one patient death from sepsis and two from malignancy with functioning grafts while one graft has been lost to disease recurrence.

Photopheresis may have a role as an adjuvant or salvage antirejection therapy in solid organ transplantation. Furthermore, evaluation in randomized controlled clinical trials is required to evaluate its potential.