Long-Term Assessment of Immune Tolerance State in Steroid-Free Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Immune tolerance state amog kidney transplant recipients is associated with better outcome and could be achieved using immunosuppressive medication. However, these medications had long term side effects. Achieving immune tolerance using minimal immunosuppression is the future perspective.Our study included 50 steroid avoidance kidney transplant recipients who received kidney transplantation 5 years ago. The used induction therapy is basiliximab. CD4, CD8 and regulatory t cells expression was assessed using flow cytometry technique.The study included 50 kidney transplant recipients with male predominance (31) and mean age 24.78±10.4. ForteenKTrs (28%) had acute rejection episodes which were managed by methyl-prednisilone (10 mg/kg) for 5 days. None of KTrs who experienced rejection episodes needed more anti-rejection therapy. There was inverse correlation between regulatory t cells and expression of both CD4 and CD8. However, the correlation between regulatory t-cells and CD8 was of statistical significance. A state of immune tolerance reflected by good graft function was occurred successfully 5 years after transplantation among steroid avoidance kidney transplant recipients.