Clinical efficacy and safety of combined induction therapy with rituximab and ATG in highly sensitized kidney transplant recipients

To summarize the efficacy and safety of the combination of rituximab and ATG as induction therapy in highly sensitized kidney transplant recipients. Clinical data of patients who received kidney transplantation from donation after cardiac death(DCD) in Organ Transplant Center of Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 1st 2015 to December 31th 2016 was retrospectively analyzed. Highly sensitized patients with over 30% active panel reactive antibody (PRA>30%) received rituximab, while non-sensitized recipients as controlled group. All selected patients were observed in the renal function, urine protein, hemogram and the variation of PRA at each time point. Acute rejection, infection required hospitalization, delayed graft function(DGF), primary nonfunction (PNF), graft dysfunction, the mortality rate of patients with good allograft function and the graft survival rate were also observed. 46 groups of patients were selected into highly-sensitized group and non-sensitized group. I