Marginal Impact of Tocilizumab Monotherapy on Anti-HLA Alloantibodies in Highly Sensitized Kidney Transplant Candidates

BACKGROUND. Highly HLA–sensitized kidney transplant candidates are difficult to desensitize, which reduces their chances of receiving a transplant. METHODS. We administered tocilizumab as a monotherapy (8 mg/kg once a mo) to 14 highly sensitized kidney transplant candidates. Highest mean fluorescence intensities of anti-HLA antibodies obtained before and after tocilizumab administration were compared from raw and diluted sera. RESULTS. The administration of tocilizumab significantly reduced dominant anti-HLA antibody sensitization. However, this decrease in mean fluorescence intensities was minor compared with the initial values. CONCLUSIONS. Tocilizumab as a monotherapy was not sufficient to allow highly sensitized kidney–transplant candidates to undergo transplantation and, therefore, was not an effective desensitization method.