This study suggests that the use of newer immunosuppressive agents in recent years is associated with some changes in the epidemiology of post-transplant infections. Enterococci have become the predominant uropathogen. Invasive fungal infections, although rare, are often fatal.

Our findings suggest that HIV+ patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy can undergo successful renal transplantation with a low incidence of both AR and AIDS-associated and non-AIDS associated infections, despite associated risk factors for poorer outcome. Our encouraging but preliminary results with this protocol will need to be verified in larger numbers of HIV+ renal allograft recipients with longer follow-up.

There are limited data on the results of early steroid withdrawal (ESW) in African-American (AA) renal allograft recipients. We examined short-term transplant outcomes in a retrospective, non-concurrent cohort study of 40 AAs who did not (ESW group), and 33 who did [steroid maintenance (SM) group] receive maintenance steroids after day 4 post-transplant. Patients received thymoglobulin (ATG) induction, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus or sirolimus. Data were analyzed using survival analysis methods and regression models. Patients in the ESW group were older, had lower current panel reactive antibody and fewer re-transplants, and received fewer doses of ATG. Oneyear graft survival and acute rejection (AR) rates were 100% and 13% in the ESW group and 97% and 15% in the SM group. After controlling for confounders, at 1 year, ESW was not associated with higher risk of graft loss, AR, or worse graft function, but was associated with less weight gain. The SM group had higher cholesterol levels at 3 months and higher risk of posttransplant diabetes mellitus. We did not observe any cases of subclinical rejection. This study suggests that ESW under modern immunosuppression is safe over the short term in at least a subset of AA recipients with risk profiles similar to those studied herein, and could be associated with improved outcomes.

Cinacalcet appears to be an effective drug for the treatment of posttransplant hypercalcemia due to persistent secondary hyperparathyroidism. Further studies with more patients and longer follow-up will be needed to better elucidate the efficacy/safety profile for this agent, particularly with regard to long-term bone histology and renal outcomes.

The results of our study suggest that the choice of induction agent may not have a major impact on graft outcomes in AA renal-allograft recipients.