Antithymocyte globulin-induced hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia after kidney transplantation. (16th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nattes, T de; Lelandais, L; Etienne, I; Laurent, C; Guerrot, D; Bertrand, D
• Is Part Of: Immunotherapy. Volume 10:Number 9(2018)
• Page Start: 737
• Page End: 742
• Publication Date: 2018-07-16
• Subjects: antithymocyte globulin -- immune cytopenias -- kidney transplantation; Immunotherapy -- Periodicals; 615.37
• DOI: 10.2217/imt-2017-0135
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1750-743X

Abstract

Antithymocyte globulin is the most widely used lymphocyte-depleting treatment in kidney transplantation. In spite of the frequency of side effects, including anemia and thrombocytopenia, their pathophysiological mechanisms are not clearly established. Here, we report the case of a 21-year-old patient who had a first kidney transplantation and received induction immunosuppressive therapy by thymoglobulin. Immediately after kidney transplantation, he developed a severe hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia with a subsequent perirenal hematoma, which lead to a second surgical procedure and a transfer to the intensive care unit. Our patients' anemia and thrombocytopenia had heteroimmune characteristics, and thymoglobulin therapy was suspected to be the cause, via an interaction with a common Fc-receptor epitope in the different cell lines.