Treatment of Recurrent Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis after Kidney Transplant with Rituximab: A Successful Case Report.

Antineutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated systemic vasculitis is a rare disease that frequently leads to end-stage renal disease. Kidney transplant should be delayed until patients are in complete clinical remission for at least 6 months, but the persistence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody titers should not delay transplant. Recurrence of disease after kidney transplant is rare, with only a few cases described in the literature with heterogenous clinical manifestations, therapeutic approaches, and prognosis. We describe the case of a young male patient with recurrent antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis, 5 years after kidney transplant, successfully treated with methylprednisolone pulses plus rituximab. Rituximab presents a new valid option for the treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody vasculitis relapse in kidney grafts.