Antibodies Could Cut Transplant Rejection in Half

BIRMINGHAM, England (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Patients who take certain antibodies after a kidney transplant may be reducing their risk of organ rejection by nearly 50 percent.

Researchers in Birmingham, England, reviewed eight trials of interleukin-2 receptor antibodies and compared the treatment to a placebo or no additional treatment in 1,858 patients who were receiving standard immunosuppressant drugs after kidney transplants. Immunosuppressant drugs suppress the immune system to help prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney. Because these medications weaken the immune system, it increases the risk of developing serious infections.

Researchers found treatment with interleukin-2 receptor antibodies reduced the risk of rejection by 49 percent after six months. In addition, there were no significant differences in the rate of graft loss, infections, or survival after one year.

Of the roughly 12,000 kidneys transplanted in the United States each year, about 5,000 are from living donors. About 52,000 people in the United States are on waiting lists for kidney transplants.

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SOURCE: British Medical Journal, 2003;326:789-791