Effect of rituximab on reducing the panel-reactive antibody in dialysis patients of transplant candidate

Abstract

Introduction: Based on the evidence, rituximab may be an effective treatment for kidney transplantation for reducing panel-reactive antibody. Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of rituximab on reducing the panel in transplant dialysis patients. Patients and Methods: This is an interventional study that was conducted on 20 dialysis patients who were candidates for kidney transplantation. Patients first had a panel-reactive antibody test and patients with a panel-reactive antibody above the age of 30 were included in the study. First, rituximab was administered at a dose of one gram and then after two weeks, another dose of one gram was administered. Panel-reactive antibody was measured baseline, one and six months later. Results: One and six months after stopping the drug, we found a significant decrease in the mean amount of reactive antibodies. Additionally, six months after stopping the drug, a significant decrease in the level of patients’ reactive antibodies in comparison to one month before taking the drug was detected (P<0.05). Conclusion: The findings showed that treatment with rituximab is useful for reducing panel-reactive antibody in kidney transplant patients. However, more studies are needed to optimize rituximab injection protocols.