Monocytes Contribute to High Renal Allograft Rejection Rates when Alemtuzumab is Utilized as an Induction Agent: A Retrospective Study.
Acute cellular and antibody-mediated rejections are important obstacles to long-term success in renal transplantation [1-3]. Alemtuzumab is a human monoclonal antibody classically employed in the treatment of various hematological cancers. Recently, alemtuzumab has been employed as an induction agent prior to transplantation with the advantage of a potential steroid-free regimen [4]. Alemtuzumab is an immune cell CD52-targeting monoclonal antibody that mediates lysis through several mechanisms such as cell-mediated cytolysis, complement-dependent cytolysis, and induction of apoptosis. This lymphocyte depletion effect may lead to reduced overall rates of acute cellular rejection and Antibody Mediated Rejection (AMR)