Eculizumab Therapy for Subclinical Antibody-mediated Rejection in Kidney Transplantation

Summary

Advances in renal transplantation have increased life-expectancy in patients with end-stage kidney disease. Conventional immunosuppressive drugs prevent efficiently early allograft losses due to T-cell mediated rejection. However, emerging data suggest that the majority of late kidney failures may be attributable to antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), which poorly responds to the currently available therapeutics. Complement-fixing donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies are associated with the worst outcome in keeping with the well-established role of the complement in AMR pathogenesis. Eculizumab, the first licenced complement blocker, has been found efficient in reducing the occurrence of AMR lesions in highly sensitized patients. A few reports also suggest that complement blockade may be of great value as salvage therapy for graft-threatening severe AMR. However, no information is available in the literature about the interest of complement blockade in curbing the progression of subclinical acute AMR to chronic AMR. The purpose of this study is to determine whether complement blockade with eculizumab is effective and safe in the treatment of subclinical AMR in sensitized kidney transplant recipients. Despite appropriate therapies, up to 75% of patients having received a renal transplant with preformed donor-specific antibody display subclinical AMR on their 3-month protocol biopsy. Subclinical AMR is defined by histological lesions of AMR concomitant with stable graft function. Moreover, the extent of these lesions at 3 month post-transplant correlates with the occurrence of irreversible scars and chonic antibody-mediated rejection on the 12-month biopsy. This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of eculizumab in patients exhibiting subclinical AMR on their 3 month-post-transplant biopsy, to reduce or even normalize microcirculation inflammation, and to prevent chronic rejection (transplant glomerulopathy) on the 12 month-screening biopsy. Eculizumab-treated patients will be compared with historical controls, matched for the lesions on the 3 month biopsy.

Timeline

Start

2015-02

Primary completion

2017-07

Completion

2017-11

Publications

• Background Loupy A, Suberbielle-Boissel C, Hill GS, Lefaucheur C, Anglicheau D, Zuber J, Martinez F, Thervet E, Mejean A, Charron D, Duong van Huyen JP, Bruneval P, Legendre C, Nochy D. Outcome of subclinical antibody-mediated rejection in kidney transplant recipients with preformed donor-specific antibodies. Am J Transplant. 2009 Nov;9(11):2561-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02813.x. Epub 2009 Sep 22.
• Background Stegall MD, Diwan T, Raghavaiah S, Cornell LD, Burns J, Dean PG, Cosio FG, Gandhi MJ, Kremers W, Gloor JM. Terminal complement inhibition decreases antibody-mediated rejection in sensitized renal transplant recipients. Am J Transplant. 2011 Nov;11(11):2405-13. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2011.03757.x. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
• Background Loupy A, Lefaucheur C, Vernerey D, Prugger C, Duong van Huyen JP, Mooney N, Suberbielle C, Fremeaux-Bacchi V, Mejean A, Desgrandchamps F, Anglicheau D, Nochy D, Charron D, Empana JP, Delahousse M, Legendre C, Glotz D, Hill GS, Zeevi A, Jouven X. Complement-binding anti-HLA antibodies and kidney-allograft survival. N Engl J Med. 2013 Sep 26;369(13):1215-26. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1302506.
• Background Zuber J, Le Quintrec M, Krid S, Bertoye C, Gueutin V, Lahoche A, Heyne N, Ardissino G, Chatelet V, Noel LH, Hourmant M, Niaudet P, Fremeaux-Bacchi V, Rondeau E, Legendre C, Loirat C; French Study Group for Atypical HUS. Eculizumab for atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome recurrence in renal transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2012 Dec;12(12):3337-54. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04252.x. Epub 2012 Sep 7.

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