immune disorders
Kidney Transplantation
Complications of Kidney Transplantation
Transplantation can cause various Complications After Transplantation . Even if tissue types are closely matched, transplanted organs, unlike transfused blood, are usually rejected unless measures are taken to prevent rejection. Rejection results from an attack by the recipient's immune system on the transplanted organ, which the immune system recognizes as foreign material. Rejection can be mild and easily controlled or severe, resulting in destruction of the transplanted organ. Despite the use of immunosuppressants, one or more episodes of rejection may occur after kidney transplantation. Acute rejectionoccurs within 3 to 4 months of kidney transplantation. It can be accompanied by fever, decreased urine production with weight gain, pain and swelling of the kidney, and elevated blood pressure. Blood tests show deteriorating kidney function. Because these symptoms can also result from infections or use of a drug, the diagnosis of rejection sometimes needs to be confirmed with a needle biopsy of the kidney. Chronic rejectionthat develops over many months to years is relatively common and causes kidney function to gradually deteriorate. Rejection can usually be effectively treated with high doses of corticosteroids or antilymphocyte globulin. If these drugs are ineffective, they are gradually stopped, and dialysis must be started again. Dialysis is continued until another kidney transplant is available. The rejected kidney may be left in place unless fever, tenderness, or blood in the urine persists. The chance of success with second transplants is almost as good as that with first transplants. Compared with the general population, kidney transplant recipients are about 10 to 15 times more likely to develop cancer, probably because the immune system helps defend the body against cancer as well as infections. Cancer of the lymphatic system ( Overview of Lymphoma ) is 30 times more common among kidney transplant recipients than the general population, but lymphoma is still uncommon. Skin cancer is common. 