Background: Withdrawal of cyclosporin-A from maintenance immunosuppressive therapy involves risk of rejection. The aim of the study was to reduce the risk of rejection and to evaluate the fine-needle aspiration biopsy in predicting rejection.
Methods and results: In 41 patients 14.4 +/- 2.6 months after the first transplantation of a cadaveric graft with good and stabilized function, cyclosporine was withdrawn from triple-drug therapy while the doses of azathioprine and prednisone were increased. Prior to the change fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) was performed and methylprednisolone 500-250-250 mg administered in 3 days. FNAB was repeated after 2 weeks. 39 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria but ineligible for the switch for different reasons served as a control group. Both groups were comparable in demographic and immunological parameters. Within 3 months after conversion, rejection was observed in 3 patients (7%) vs 2 patients (5%) of the control group over a comparable period of time: and within 6 months in 6 patients (15%) and 3 patients (8%) respectively (NS). No relationship between rejections before and after conversion was found. FNAB appeared to have some predictive value for rejection. In all of the 3 patients experiencing rejection, a rejection pattern was present in the 2nd biopsy.
Conclusions: Incorporation of methylprednisolone into conversion therapeutic regime decreased the risk of rejection to 7%. The rejection pattern in the second FNAB after methylprednisolone administration may be predictive for further rejection development.