Acute cellular rejection in liver transplant recipients under cyclosporine immunosuppression:: Predictive factors of response to antirejection therapy

Background. Predictive factors of response to anti-rejection therapy in acute cellular rejection (ACR) in liver transplantation are not well established. Methods. To investigate the possible existence of these factors, we reviewed 111 consecutive episodes of ACR fulfilling the following criteria: histologically confirmed ACR; cyclosporine-based immunosuppression; initial antirejection treatment with high-dose steroid boluses; minimum follow-up of 2 weeks after treatment; and no other graft complication interfering with evaluation of therapeutic response. ACR episodes not responding to initial steroid therapy were given additional treatment (OKT3 and/or repeated steroid boluses). We analyzed the association of the response to the antirejection treatment with different clinical, laboratory, histological, and donor-recipient compatibility variables at two times: after the initial antirejection therapy, and after all the antirejection. therapy administered. Results. Eighty episodes of ACR (72%) resolved after the initial therapy with high-dose steroid boluses, and another 18 (16%), initially steroid-resistant, resolved with additional antirejection. treatment. Thirteen episodes (12%) were refractory to all antirejection treatment administered. Variables with independent predictive value of nonresponse to initial therapy with steroid boluses were late-onset ACR (> 2 months after transplantation), high serum bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase, low blood cyclosporine concentration in the week before antirejection treatment, and severe histological endothelialitis. Late-onset ACR and high serum bilirubin were also independent predictors of refractoriness to all the treatment administered. Conclusions Response to antirejection treatment in ACR in liver transplantation can be predicted by several clinical and laboratory data. ACR episodes with factors predictive of therapeutic unresponsiveness could benefit from more aggressive antirejection treatment.