Objective   To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of ABO-incompatible (ABOi) living-related kidney transplantation.

  Methods   Clinical data of 23 recipients undergoing ABOi living-related kidney transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. According to the initial blood group antibody titers in the recipients before surgery, different individualized pretreatment regimens were adopted, including oral intake of immunosuppressive drugs plus rituximab, or oral intake of immunosuppressive drugs plus plasma exchange and/or double filtration plasmapheresis plus rituximab. The blood group antibody titers before and after pretreatment, before and after kidney transplantation, and perioperative renal function and related complications were monitored. Renal allograft function and related complications were observed during postoperative follow-up.

  Results   Among 23 recipients undergoing ABOi living-related kidney transplantation, except for one case presenting with hyperacute rejection during operation, the serum creatinine levels of the remaining 22 recipients were restored normal. Perioperative complications included lymphatic fistula in 4 cases, 1 case of urinary fistula, 1 case of perirenal hematoma complicated with T cell-mediated rejection, 6 cases of urinary system infection, 1 case of acute tubular necrosis, 1 case of acute pancreatitis, 1 case of blood group antibody titer rebound, and 1 case of primary disease recurrence, and all of these complications were cured after corresponding treatment. During postoperative follow-up, the graft and recipient survival rates of 22 recipients were 100%, and renal allograft function was normal. The blood group antibody titer were all ≤1:8 during follow-up. Complications during follow-up included 2 cases of severe lung infection, 1 case of antibody-mediated rejection, 2 cases of primary disease recurrence, 1 case of lymphocyst, 1 case of urinary system infection, 1 case of herpes zoster, 1 case of BK viruria and 2 cases of abnormal blood glucose levels.

  Conclusions   ABOi living-related kidney transplantation may be safely performed by selecting individualized pretreatment regimens according to antibody titers by different blood groups. However, high-dose rituximab or combined use of rabbit anti-human thymocyte immunoglobulin may cause severe infectious complications in highly sensitized recipients.