CLINICAL COURSE OF PATIENTS WITH ANTINEUTROPHIL CYTOPLASM ANTIBODY-POSITIVE VASCULITIS AFTER KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION

Four patients with antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA)-positive vasculitis were followed over a period from 27 to 54 months after successful kidney transplantation under immunosuppressive treatment with ciclosporine. ANCA titer prior to transplantation was markedly elevated and decreased in 1 of 4 patients under therapy with ciclosporine. Despite adequate ciclosporine blood trough levels, a relapse occurred in 2 patients 18 and 24 months after transplantation but therapy with cyclophosphamide induced remission and no patient lost his graft due to relapse of vasculitis. This observation demonstrates that kidney transplantation may be offered to ANCA-positive patients with end-stage renal disease due to vasculitis. However, patients under ciclosporine therapy are still at risk for the development of relapsing disease and cyclophosphamide has to be added to or substituted in part for standard immunosuppressive therapy in order to reverse clinical symptoms and prevent rapid deterioration of kidney function.