Combined use of rituximab and plasmapheresis pre‐transplant increases post‐transplant infections in renal transplant recipients with basiliximab induction therapy

Abstract

We investigated the effect of combined use of rituximab (RTX) and plasmapheresis (PP) pre-transplant on post-transplant infection. A total of 196 patients undergoing living-donor kidney transplantation at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, all of whom underwent basiliximab induction therapy, were included in the study. They were divided into 3 groups: RTX/PP/intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (the RPI group; n = 53), RTX monotherapy (the RTX group; n = 14), and control (the CONT group; n = 129). We compared the post-transplant infections in the 3 groups. The overall prevalence of infection was significantly higher, and the infection-free survival rate was lower, in the RPI group compared with the RTX or CONT groups (P < 0.05). A trend toward more severe bacterial infections was seen in the RPI group compared with the other groups, and fungal infections developed only in the RPI group. After anti-rejection therapy, a significantly higher rate of infection developed in the RPI group than in the other groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the RPI group was an independent risk factor for the development of infection. Our results show that in the setting of basiliximab induction, the use of combined RTX and PP therapy pre-transplant significantly increases the risk for post-transplant infection.