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Efficacy of Rituximab in Acute Cellular Rejection in Renal Transplant Patients

Phase 3
Terminated
Conditions
Acute Rejection
Interventions
Drug: Placebo
Registration Number
NCT01117662
Lead Sponsor
Hannover Medical School
Brief Summary

Acute kidney allograft rejection is the major cause for a loss of graft function and has a negative impact on long-term graft survival. Anti-rejection therapy traditionally focuses on T cell-mediated mechanisms of renal allograft rejection. However, available agents that affect T-cell pathways have only little impact on long-term graft survival. There is increasing evidence that B-cells play an important role in acute transplant rejections. CD20+ B cell infiltrates in acute T-cell mediated rejections are frequent and correlate with a worse response to conventional anti-rejection treatment and an increased risk of graft loss. In one pilot study, supported by several case reports, a beneficial effect of Rituximab for the treatment of acute rejection episodes with intrarenal B-cell infiltrates was shown. However, despite the promise of these observations solid evidence is required before incorporating this treatment option into a general treatment recommendation.

In a multicenter randomized placebo controlled double blind phase III trial the investigators want to demonstrate that Rituximab in addition to standard treatment with steroid-boli is superior to the standard treatment alone regarding long-term kidney function. If the proposed study proves that Rituximab treatment of acute rejections is beneficial for the long-term allograft function, the conventional rejection therapy needs to be revised to this novel concept of B- cell targeting

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
TERMINATED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
13
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
ControlPlaceboIntravenous application of placebo (NaCl 0,9 %) matching active treatment
RituximabRituximabIntravenous application of Rituximab 375mg/m² body surface in 250 ml NaCl 0,9 % over 4 hours
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change of the GFR (glomerular filtration rate) one year after intervention compared to the baseline GFR before the rejection, which is calculated by a defined algorithmBaseline, 1 year
Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Progression of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy between the biopsy that led to enrolment in the study and a scheduled protocol biopsy one year after intervention ("∆IFTA-Score")1 year

Trial Locations

Locations (14)

Universitätsklinikum Münster Innere Medizin / Nephrologie

🇩🇪

Münster, Germany

Nephrologisches Zentrum Niedersachsen 34346 Hannoversch Münden

🇩🇪

Hannoversch Münden, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Jena Klinik für Innere Medizin III

🇩🇪

Jena, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf Klinik für Nephrologie

🇩🇪

Düsseldorf, Germany

Charité Campus Mitte Universitätsmedizin Berlin

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Universitätsklinikum der RWTH Aachen Medizinische Klinik II

🇩🇪

Aachen, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Campus Kiel Klinik für Nieren- und Hochdruckkrankheiten Kiel

🇩🇪

Kiel, Germany

Hannover Medical School

🇩🇪

Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Erlangen Nephrologie und Hypertensiologie

🇩🇪

Erlangen, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Freiburg Medzinische Klinik IV Nephrologie Freiburg

🇩🇪

Freiburg, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Essen Klinik für Nephrologie

🇩🇪

Essen, Germany

Universitätsklinikum Köln Medizinische Klinik IV Nephrologie

🇩🇪

Köln, Germany

Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik I der Ludwig-Maximilians-Uniklinik München Klinikum Großhadern

🇩🇪

München, Germany

Kliniken der Stadt Köln gGmbH Medizinische Klinik I

🇩🇪

Köln, Germany

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