Use of Atorvastatin (Lipitor) to Decrease Panel Reactive Antibody Titers
Use of Atorvastatin (Lipitor) to Decrease Panel Reactive Antibody Titers
The purpose of this study is to identify subjects who are highly sensitized with antibodies.
 It is difficult for these patients to find suitable kidneys. We propose to treat such
 patients to decrease the antibodies in such a way, that it may become possible to safely
 transplant kidneys into them.
Kidney transplantation is the desired treatment of choice in subjects with end-stage kidney
 disease (ESRD). The average waiting time for subjects to receive a "deceased donor" kidney
 transplant is 3-5 years. Currently, there are about 60,000 subjects on the national waiting
 list, and about 13,000-14,000 kidney transplants are performed each year. Approximately, 25%
 of subjects on the waiting list are "highly sensitized", meaning that they have natural
 proteins (antibodies) that aggressively protect their bodies from the invasion of foreign
 proteins. These individuals often have a difficult time accepting transplanted kidneys. The
 purpose of this study is to identify subjects who are highly sensitized with these
 antibodies, and treat them in such a way, that it may become possible to transplant kidneys
 into them. Drugs like atorvastatin (Lipitor) may decrease the levels of these anti-bodies and
 increase the possibility of these subjects to receive a kidney transplant. This research
 study is being done because currently, there are very limited and cumbersome treatment
 options to address this issue, subjects who are highly sensitized with antibodies, may
 unfortunately wait for a very long time or may never get transplanted.
Inclusion Criteria:

 1. Eighteen years or older,

 2. On the waiting list for a kidney transplant list

 3. On hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis

 Exclusion Criteria:

 1. Pregnant woman

 2. Patients who need ongoing blood products

 3. Patients with failed organs having active rejection

 4. Other therapies to decrease PRA

 5. Patients listed for multi-organ transplants (other than kidney-pancreas)