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Use of the ImmuKnow assay to evaluate the effect of alemtuzumab-depleting induction therapy on cell-mediated immune function after renal transplantation

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Abstract

Background

Good outcomes after renal transplantation are dependent on effective immunosuppression while minimizing infection. Alemtuzumab (Campath or Campath-1H) is an anti-CD52 humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody which induces rapid and sustained depletion of circulating lymphocytes and has been effectively used as an immunosuppressant in post-transplant induction therapy.

Methods

We used the ImmuKnow assay to compare cell-mediated immune function in renal transplant patients treated with alemtuzumab or with conventional immunosuppressive tri-therapy. The ImmuKnow method determines the levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) released from CD4 cells following stimulation with a mitogen.

Results

We showed a statistically significant difference in the distribution of outcome after transplantation between the conventional and the Campath groups (P = 0.010). A significantly higher number of patients treated with alemtuzumab induction therapy were stable after transplantation compared to those treated with conventional immunosuppressive tri-therapy (96.6 vs. 75.7 %). ATP values were significantly higher in the conventional group compared to the Campath group at 180 days after transplantation (P < 0.001). ATP levels did not change significantly over time in clinically stable kidney recipients treated with alemtuzumab induction therapy (P = 0.554).

Conclusions

The ImmuKnow assay is a useful tool for evaluating the global immune response in alemtuzumab-treated renal transplant patients. Alemtuzumab-depleting induction therapy remains effective for at least 180 days.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Jianming Tan, Weizhen Wu, Shunliang Yang, Jinquan Cai, Junqi Guo, Kai Zheng, Zhixian Wu, Xia Gao, Xiaowen Chen, Qinghua Wang, Lianghu Huang, Lin Wu and Xinxiang Yuan for kind assistance. Grants received from Organ transplantation research projects of China MOH (No. IHECC07-201010), and Fujian Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 2011J01239).

Conflict of interest

None to declare.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (The People’s Hospital of Fujian Province), No. 602, Middle Road 817, Fuzhou, 350004, China

    Hao Zhou, Weidong Chen, Xin’an Zhang & Yi Zhang

  2. Department of Urology, Fuzhou General Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Second Military Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Hao Zhou & Shushang Chen

  3. Department of Urology, Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China

    Hao Zhou & Shushang Chen

  4. First Hospital of Nanping City, Fujian Medical University, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanping, China

    Jian Lin

  5. Department of Laboratory, Fuzhou General Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Second Military Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Liqiang Ma

  6. Department of Laboratory, Dongfang Hospital, Xiamen University, Fuzhou, China

    Liqiang Ma

  7. Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Zhenzhen Qiu

  8. Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, Fujian Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuzhou, Fujian, China

    Xiuquan Lin

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  1. Hao Zhou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hao Zhou.

Additional information

H. Zhou, J. Lin and S. Chen contributed equally to this work.

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Zhou, H., Lin, J., Chen, S. et al. Use of the ImmuKnow assay to evaluate the effect of alemtuzumab-depleting induction therapy on cell-mediated immune function after renal transplantation. Clin Exp Nephrol 17, 304–309 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-012-0688-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-012-0688-1

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