Eculizumab for Prevention and Treatment of Kidney Graft Reperfusion Injury

Study of Eculizumab for Prevention and Treatment Reperfusion Injury in Kidney Transplantation.

Study of eculizumab ability to correct the reperfusion injury of the kidney allograft.

Based on experimental data and supportive observations in humans associating complement gene upregulation with ischemic reperfusion injury, it is hypothesized that C5 cleavage is a key step in the pathogenesis of ischemic reperfusion injury following transplantation. It was further hypothesized that eculizumab, antibody that blocks C5 cleavage in humans will be an effective prophylactic agent to prevent ischemic reperfusion injury in high risk recipients. For testing this hypothesis, this study is a pilot prospective study to test the efficacy of eculizumab in preventing the development of reperfusion injury and contribute graft survival.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. age 1-80
2. weight - >6 kg
3. male or female
4. recipient of first kidney graft either from standard criteria deceased or live donor
5. end stage renal disease or congenital nephrotic syndrome -

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Blood group (ABO) incompatible transplantation
2. presence of donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antibodies
3. multiorgan transplantation
4. previous transplant
5. patients infected with HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV)
6. patients with haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) -