Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Digital Home-Monitoring of Patients after Kidney Transplantation: The MACCS Platform
Published on: April 12, 2021
Belatacept conversion in African American kidney transplant recipients with severe renal dysfunction
Heather S Snyder1, Benjamin T Duhart1, Amy G Krauss1
1Department of Pharmacy, Methodist University Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA; College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA.
Objectives:
Conversion from calcineurin inhibitor-based maintenance immunosuppression to belatacept in kidney transplant recipients has been demonstrated to improve renal function while maintaining efficacy against rejection. However, conversion studies to date have excluded patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 35 mL/min/1.73 m2.
Methods:
We describe two patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 who underwent conversion from maintenance calcineurin inhibitor to belatacept.
Results:
Both patients experienced improvement in renal function following conversion.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that patients with more severe degrees of allograft impairment may benefit from conversion of maintenance calcineurin inhibitor to belatacept-based immunosuppression. Larger, randomized studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of such an approach.
Related Concept Videos
Kidney Transplant I: Introduction
Kidney Transplant II: Surgical Procedure
Kidney Transplant III: Nursing Management
Renal Failure: Dose Adjustments
Reduced renal clearance and elimination rate are common outcomes of renal impairment. These alterations lead to a prolonged elimination half-life and an altered apparent volume of distribution for drugs. As a result, dosage adjustments are typically necessary to maintain optimal drug levels in the body.
However, dosage adjustments...
Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy...
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

