Kaposi's Sarcoma in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

To the Editor.— Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a vascular tumor whose exact origin is not yet fully understood. Its increasing incidence in patients who are immunosuppressed and in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has increased our awareness of this disease. We describe our population of kidney transplant patients in whom KS developed. Patients and Methods.— A population of 820 kidney transplant patients who underwent follow-up of at least 6 months' duration was entered into the study. Immunosuppressive therapy consisted of methylprednisolone and azathioprine (conventional therapy) for 316 patients who underwent transplantation before 1983. Since February 1983, another 504 patients were treated with cyclosporine alone or in combination with methylprednisolone (double therapy) or with methylprednisolone and azathioprine (triple therapy). Rejection episodes were treated with intravenous methylprednisolone pulses (500 to 1000 to 500 mg each) for 3 consecutive days. In cases of steroid-resistant rejections, antithymocyte globulin or monoclonal OKT3 antibodies were