Single-center experience with renal transplantation in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis

Between 1980 and 1995, 13 patients with end-stage renal disease due to Wegener's granulomatosis received 14 renal transplants (10 cadaveric, 4 living related). The mean follow-up in the 13 successfully transplanted patients was 50 months (4-107 months). One patient had primary nonfunction and received another graft 4 months later. Three episodes of acute rejection occurred in two patients, and one of these patients lost her graft due to severe vascular rejection 4 months after transplantation. Two patients died with well-functioning grafts (one of metastatic cancer and one of sepsis). One patient presented with perisinusitis and had a mild recurrence of Wegener's disease. None of the patients developed recurrent disease in the transplanted organ. At the last follow-up, the mean creatinine (+/-SD) in the 12 patients with functioning grafts was 1.6 +/- 0.6 mgdl. We conclude that renal transplantation is an excellent treatment for renal failure due to Wegener's granulomatosis. Recurrence of the disease is uncommon in patients under immunosuppression, but careful monitoring is extremely important.