A comparison of 2 protocols for living-related renal transplantation in children: Donor-specific transfusions versus cyclosporine

We analyzed the results obtained with protocols for immunosuppression of pediatric recipients of halpoidentical living-related renal transplants. In the donor-specific transfusion group transfusion of blood products obtained from the prospective organ donor was performed before transplantation, and at transplantation maintenance immunosuppression of azathioprine and prednisone was begun. In the cyclosporine group donor-specific transfusion was not used, and maintenance immunosuppression of cyclosporine and azathioprine was begun 1 week before transplantation, with the addition of prednisone at transplantation. Of 24 donor-specific transfusion recipients 3 had circulating cytotoxic antibodies to the prospective donor for an incidence of 12%. There was no significant difference between groups with respect to 1-year actual patient and graft survival (100 and 89 versus 100 and 86%, respectively), 1-year mean serum creatinine level (1.1 versus 1.2 mg./dl.), rejection treatments per patient (2.5 versus 2.6) and total days hospitalized during year 1 after transplantation (27 versus 18), with donor-specific transfusion data presented first. Initial hospitalization was significantly shorter (10 versus 16 days, p < 0.05) and the incidence of rejection crises within 3 months was significantly less (68 versus 94%, p < 0.05) in the cyclosporine group. We believe that cyclosporine and azathioprine pre-treatment of pediatric recipients of haploidentical living-related renal transplants with the addition of prednisolone at transplantation is preferable to a donor-specific transfusion protocol because there is no risk of recipient sensitization to the prospective donor, and patient and graft survival is not adversely affected.