Immune profile of pediatric renal transplant recipients following alemtuzumab induction

J Am Soc Nephrol. 2012 Jan;23(1):174-82. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2011040360. Epub 2011 Nov 3.

Abstract

The incidence of developing circulating anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies and the kinetics of T cell depletion and recovery among pediatric renal transplant recipients who receive alemtuzumab induction therapy are unknown. In a collaborative endeavor to minimize maintenance immunosuppression in pediatric renal transplant recipients, we enrolled 35 participants from four centers and treated them with alemtuzumab induction therapy and a steroid-free, calcineurin-inhibitor-withdrawal maintenance regimen. At 3 months after transplant, there was greater depletion of CD4(+) than CD8(+) T cells within the total, naive, memory, and effector memory subsets, although depletion of the central memory subset was similar for CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells. Although CD8(+) T cells recovered faster than CD4(+) subsets overall, they failed to return to pretransplant levels by 24 months after transplant. There was no evidence for greater recovery of either CD4(+) or CD8(+) memory cells than naïve cells. Alemtuzumab relatively spared CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells, resulting in a rise in their numbers relative to total CD4(+) cells and a ratio that remained at least at pretransplant levels throughout the study period. Seven participants (20%) developed anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies without adversely affecting allograft function or histology on 2-year biopsies. Long-term follow-up is underway to assess the potential benefits of this regimen in children.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II
  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alemtuzumab
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / pharmacology*
  • Antibodies, Neoplasm / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Child
  • Female
  • HLA Antigens / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppression Therapy
  • Kidney Transplantation / immunology*
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • T-Lymphocytes / drug effects*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antibodies, Neoplasm
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • HLA Antigens
  • Alemtuzumab