Combined Use of Rituximab and Plasmapheresis Pre-transplant Increases Post-transplant Infections in Renal Transplant Recipients with Basiliximab Induction Therapy

Introduction: We investigated the effect of combined use of rituximab (RTX) and plasmapheresis (PP) pre-transplant on post-transplant infection.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusion: 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.