Background: There is a reciprocal relationship between post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) and rejection: aggressive treatment of rejection can result in PTLD, while treatment of PTLD by reducing immunosuppression can result in recrudescence of rejection. The literature on the relationship between PTLD and rejection episodes is limited.
Methods: The clinical course and outcome of rejection episodes occurring prior to and following a diagnosis of PTLD were studied in 20 renal transplant recipients.
Results: The diagnosis of PTLD was preceded by rejection in 12/20 (60%) patients. OKT3 treatment was associated with early onset PTLD, which involved the allograft in 6/7 patients (86%). The risk of rejection following reduced immunosuppression was 7/14 (50%). Post-PTLD rejection left untreated led to graft loss in 3 patients. The remaining 4 patients responded satisfactorily to anti-rejection therapy.
Conclusions: Reduction of immunosuppression for PTLD is frequently, but not invariably, complicated by rejection. The clinical outcome of PTLD does not correlate with the occurrence or reversibility of rejection episodes.