Rituximab for reduction of anti-HLA antibodies in patients awaiting renal transplantation: 1. Safety, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacokinetics
Vieira, C.A.; Agarwal, A.; Book, B.K.; Sidner, R.A.; Bearden, C.M.; Gebel, H.M.; Roggero, A.L.; Fineberg, N.S.; Taber, T.; Kraus, M.A.; Pescovitz, M.D.
Transplantation 77(4): 542-548
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-1337 PMID: 15084932 Document Number: 575195
Background. Preformed HLA antibodies (Ab), reported as panel-reactive antibody (PRA), prolong patient waiting time for kidney transplantation. We hypothesized that rituximab (RTX) could reduce PRA via B-cell depletion. This initial study reports the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of RTX in patients with end-stage renal failure. Methods. The study was an investigator-initiated single-dose, dose-escalation phase I trial of RTX in chronic dialysis patients (PRA >50%). It was approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Food and Drug Administration. Nine subjects were treated with a single dose of RTX (n=3 per group) at 50, 150, or 375 mg/m2. Peripheral lymphocyte cell surface markers and HLA Ab levels (%PRA and titers) were tested using flow cytometry. Results. There were four significant adverse events: a suspected histoplasmosis infection; two Tenchkoff dialysis catheter infections; and fever (38.7degreeC) during infusion. At 2 days after RTX therapy, there was depletion of CD19+ cells (pre-RTX 181+-137 vs. post-RTX 12+-5.6, P=0.006). In 2 (22%) of 9 subjects, there was no appreciable change in PRA. Among the other seven patients, one had a decrease in PRA from 87% to 51% with a concurrent decrease in fluorescence intensity; five patients had changes in histogram architecture suggesting loss of antibody specificity; and one patient had a fourfold decrease in PRA titer from 1:64 to 1:16 at 6 months after treatment. In addition, one of the seven patients converted a donor-specific crossmatch to negative and underwent a successful living donor kidney transplantation. Conclusions. RTX can be safely administered and may be an effective agent to reduce high-titer anti-HLA Abs in subjects awaiting kidney transplantation.