We report a case of antibody-mediated rejection treated with the human CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab in a 58-year-old female patient with end-stage kidney disease due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease who received an ABO- and human leukocyte antigen antibody-incompatible living donor kidney transplant. The patient experienced an episode of severe antibody-mediated rejection within the first week of transplantation. Blood-group-antibody selective immunoadsorption in combination with administration of four doses of daratumumab (each 1800 mg s.c.) led to a persistent decrease of ABO- and more interestingly donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibody reactivity and resulted in clinical and histopathological remission with full recovery of graft function, which has remained stable until post-transplant day 212. This case illustrates the potential of targeting CD38 in antibody-mediated rejection.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment for acute T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR) can increase the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. We aimed to evaluate the effect of valacyclovir prophylaxis against CMV infection after ATG administration as anti-rejection therapy.
METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 55 kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) receiving ATG for steroid resistant TCMR. In all KTRs, we used intravenous ganciclovir during ATG injection. In 34 KTRs treated before July 2013, we performed preemptive therapy for CMV infection after ATG therapy. They were regarded as the historic control group (CONT). After July 2013, we used valacyclovir maintenance for 1 month after ATG therapy in 21 patients (VAL). The primary outcome was the incidence of CMV infection, and the secondary outcomes were subsequent acute rejection, and graft and patient outcome.
RESULTS: Valacyclovir prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of CMV infection (VAL, 9.6% vs. CONT, 67.6%; p < 0.001), and CMV-free survival rate was higher in the VAL group compared to the CONT group (p = 0.009). In the VAL group, two cases of CMV infection were limited to CMV viremia, but CMV disease or syndrome (n = 3) was detected in the CONT group. There was no difference in graft failure (CONT, 70.5% vs. VAL, 47.6%; p = 0.152), incidence of subsequent rejection after ATG treatment (CONT, 41.1% vs. VAL, 33.3%; p = 0.776), and graft or patient survival between the two groups. There were no major adverse events associated with valacyclovir prophylaxis.
CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, valacyclovir prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of CMV infection after ATG treatment for steroid resistant TCMR.

BACKGROUND: Although major risk factors for post-transplant diabetes (PTDM) after kidney transplantation have been identified, a systematic study on the impact of rejection and rejection therapy is missing so far.
METHODS: Five hundred and twenty-six kidney transplant recipients transplanted in the years 2000-2007 were included. PTDM was defined according to WHO guidelines, and patients\' data were compared with special attention to protocol and for cause biopsies and rejection therapies. Survival analyses were made for graft loss and patient death.
RESULTS: 16.7% of all patients developed PTDM. Among common risk factors as higher age, body mass index (BMI), and others, the factor \"acute cellular rejections\" was comparably most relevant with a hazard ratio of 3.7. Consequently, antirejective treatment with steroid pulses and conversion to tacrolimus was the factor with the highest relative risk for the onset of PTDM (RR 3.5). PTDM itself had no impact on graft or patients\' survival, but the decreased graft survival in PTDM patients was dominantly influenced by the higher frequency of acute cellular rejections, and patients\' survival was reduced due to higher age.
CONCLUSIONS: Based upon a higher rate of acute rejections (AR), the necessity of frequent antirejective treatments was more relevant for the induction of PTDM than age or BMI.