Improved Induction and Maintenance Immunosuppression in Kidney Transplantation
- Conditions
- End-stage Renal Disease
- Interventions
- Registration Number
- NCT00556933
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Nebraska
- Brief Summary
This 2 x 2 sequential factorial study evaluates two potential improvements to the standard immunosuppression regimen used at the investigators' institution to prevent rejection of transplanted kidneys. These two potential improvements are each applied in sequence to half of the study patients, creating 4 study arms; the other half receive the standard treatment. The two potential improvements are:
1. Administering the immunosuppression induction agent rATG ("rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin") in a single dose at the time of transplantation, instead of in the usual series of 4 smaller doses over 6 days.
2. After 6 months, modifying the maintenance immunosuppression used to prevent rejection by replacing the drug tacrolimus with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).
The two interventions, spaced sequentially six months apart, enable independent analysis of the two treatments so long as it can be shown that there is no synergistic interaction between them.
- Detailed Description
The two treatment innovations in this study of immunosuppression in kidney transplantation are aimed at making the transplanted kidney function sooner and last longer than is usual with standard immunosuppression regimens, but without increasing the likelihood of rejection.
The first innovation, delivering the induction agent rATG in a single large dose rather than as a series of smaller doses over 6-8 days, is expected to produce better graft function right away, possibly by reducing some of the injury to the kidney that accompanies the restoration of blood flow during transplantation ("reperfusion injury"). Some evidence has been developed by investigators elsewhere to suggest this will happen.
The second innovation, replacing tacrolimus with MMF after 6 months, is intended to eliminate a well-established major cause of ongoing toxic damage to the kidney. While tacrolimus does a good job of preventing rejection, the cost in continuing toxic injury to the kidney is high, leading inevitably to eventual graft failure, the inability of the transplanted kidney to continue filtering the blood and making adequate volumes of high-quality urine.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 180
- Primary renal transplant recipient for end-stage renal disease
- Recipient age < 18 years or > 65 years
- Previous history of CMV disease
- Hepatitis B and C recipients
- Primary disease states that require steroids for immunosuppression
- Re-transplant with immunological cause of renal or pancreas loss
- Non heart beating donors
- Recipient of pediatric en bloc kidneys
- Recipient with a Panel Reactive Antibody (PRA) score >75%
- Patients who have received 3 or more prior transplants, excluding pancreas
- Patients who are past recipients of other solid organ transplants
- Previous history of BK virus
- Previous treatment with Thymoglobulin
- Allergy to rabbits
- Simultaneous Kidney/Pancreas transplantation
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- FACTORIAL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Group 1 rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - single dose Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 3 rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - single dose Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 2 rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - 4 doses Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 3 sirolimus Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 1 sirolimus Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 4 rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - 4 doses Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 2 tacrolimus Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 1 tacrolimus Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 2 sirolimus Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression. Group 3 mycophenolate mofetil Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 3 tacrolimus Kidney transplant recipients given a single large dose of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 4 mycophenolate mofetil Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 4 sirolimus Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months. Group 4 tacrolimus Kidney transplant recipients given 4 small doses of rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) and maintained on tacrolimus and sirolimus for chronic immunosuppression until tacrolimus is replaced with mycophenolate mofetil after about 6 months.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Chronic Allograft Nephropathy (Cumulative Calcineurin-inhibitor Nephrotoxicity/Transplant Nephropathy) Per Protocol Surveillance Kidney Biopsies (Banff Grading Criteria). Two years Protocol kidney biopsies collected at approximately 12 and 24 months were scored by a transplant renal pathologist blinded to treatment group assignment for evidence of rejection, BK virus nephropathy, antibody-mediated rejection, recurrent disease, inflammation, and Banff 2005 categories of chronic renal injury. Chronic injury categories were arteriolar hyaline thickening (ah), allograft glomerulopathy (cg), interstitial fibrosis (ci), tubular atrophy (ct), and vascular fibrous intimal thickening (cv). Severity scores within each category could be 0 (\<5%; none or minimal), 1 (\>5% - \<25%; mild), 2 (\>25% - \<50%, moderate), or 3 (\>50%, severe). The proportions of patients in each severity grade (0, 1, 2, and 3) for both the individual categories and a composite were compared using Fisher's exact test.
Average of Renal Function Two years Calculated Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) by using the abbreviated MDRD (aMDRD) formula and patient serum creatinine and demographic data; averaged values from months four through 24.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Safety Profile Two years Number of events: cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, opportunistic infections (bacteremia, abscess, pneumonia, fungal), Post-transplantation Lymphoproliferative Disorder (PTLD), wound healing problems within 30 days, and lymphoceles.
Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN) Rate, Defined as the Requirement for Dialysis Within 7 Days Post-transplantation. Seven days New-onset Polyomavirus (BK Virus) Disease Per Kidney Biopsy Two years Graft Survival Two years Graft failure = permanent return of patient to dialysis.
Lymphoid Cell Sub-type CD3 Absolute Numbers One year New-onset Diabetes and Hyperglycemia After Transplantation (NODAT) Six months Ratio of CD4/CD8 Lymphoid Cells One year Acute Rejection Per Kidney Biopsy (Banff Grading Criteria) Two years Requirement for Additional Immunosuppression (Such as Corticosteroids, Antimetabolites or Other Immunosuppressive Agents) Two years Patient Survival Two years
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Unversity of Nebraska Medical Center
🇺🇸Omaha, Nebraska, United States