Definition, diagnosis, and management of rejection in the second to sixth months posttransplant--an overview.

CsA immunosuppression has resulted in decreased graft loss from rejection. However, rejection episodes do occur and, in fact, rejection remains as the major cause of graft loss in the CsA-treated patient. CsA, itself, has added to the differential diagnosis of renal dysfunction following transplantation. In the majority of circumstances, rejection can be differentiated from CsA nephrotoxicity as well as other causes of renal dysfunction by a combination of clinical presentation, renal scan and sonography, CsA levels, and percutaneous allograft biopsy. In some circumstances, a therapeutic trial of lowering the CsA dose may be indicated before extensive laboratory study. Most acute rejection episodes will respond to increased steroid doses. In patients with low CsA levels, increasing the CsA dose may be advised. Steroid-resistant rejection frequently responds to ALG. Patients with repeated episodes of renal dysfunction may be stabilized by using the combination of prednisone, azathioprine, and CsA.