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The Successful Use of De Novo Belatacept with Reduced Dose Tacrolimus to Mitigate the Risks of Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplantation

E. Siskind1, J. Splinter1, C. Taing1, A. Adekile2, S. Njim1, S. Shah1, R. Plews3, D. Conti4, S. Patel2

1Center for Transplantation, University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 2University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, 3Center for Transplantation, Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY, 4Albany Medical Center, Albany, NY

Meeting: 2022 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: 1700

Keywords: Calcineurin, Immunosuppression, Kidney transplantation, Rejection

Topic: Clinical Science » Kidney » 38 - Kidney Immunosuppression: Novel Regimens and Drug Minimization

Session Information

Session Name: Kidney Immunosuppression: Novel Regimens and Drug Minimization

Session Type: Poster Abstract

Date: Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Session Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm

 Presentation Time: 7:00pm-8:00pm

Location: Hynes Halls C & D

*Purpose: The new kidney allocation system has caused increased organ travel times and therefore increased cold ischemia time. Furthermore, the change in the priority to larger transplant centers has caused deprioritized centers to accept higher risk extended criteria donors. These factors lead to increased risk of delayed graft function (DGF).

*Methods: To mitigate these risk factors of delayed graft function we have adopted an immunosuppression regimen of de novo belatacept with reduced dose tacrolimus with trough goal level of 5. We hypothesize that the use of belatacept will allow protection against rejection while allowing the renal allogaft to recover from ischemia reperfusion injury without concomitant calcineurin toxicity or vasoconstriction. The delayed addition of low dose tacrolimus can then aid in rejection prevention in addition to belatacept.

*Results: In a cohort of 83 patients we observed one graft loss, ­­­­ two episodes of rejection and three deaths. Of the 130 standard dose tacrolimus with no belatacept we observed no graft losses, seven rejections and one death. Two patients were converted from tacrolimus alone therapy to belatacept plus tacrolimus therapy after the diagnosis of rejection with concomitant tacrolimus toxicity. The belatacept group had a lower rate of rejection, but a higher rate of patient death with a P value <0.001 as calculated with the Z score test. The death in the tacrolimus group was due to covid. Two of the deaths in the belatacept group were cardiovascular, one was a cerebrovascular accident possible related to skull based osteomyelitis. The graft loss in the belatacept group was related to non-compliance.

*Conclusions: Despite initial reports of increased rates of rejection; we report decreased rejection with our belatacept for DGF regimen. We believe this regimen can be a useful tool to utilize more extended criteria donor kidneys in the new kidney allocation system.

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To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Siskind E, Splinter J, Taing C, Adekile A, Njim S, Shah S, Plews R, Conti D, Patel S. The Successful Use of De Novo Belatacept with Reduced Dose Tacrolimus to Mitigate the Risks of Delayed Graft Function in Kidney Transplantation [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2022; 22 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/the-successful-use-of-de-novo-belatacept-with-reduced-dose-tacrolimus-to-mitigate-the-risks-of-delayed-graft-function-in-kidney-transplantation/. Accessed May 28, 2025.

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