Leukopenia after solid organ transplantation

Abstract

Leukopenia after solid organ transplantation (SOT) occurs at various times after transplantation even in half of recipients. The main causes of leukopenia after SOT iclude toxic effect of multidrug therapy on bone marrow, systemic infections and cancers. Among the immunosuppressive therapy (IST) leukopenia is mostly called by the following: the cell division and m-TOR inhibitors, limphocytes depleting antibodies, rituximab. Associating IST with drugs used to treat infections in this group of patients often exacerbate leukopenia. SOT recipients are especially vulnerable to infections that can be both caus and result of cytopenias. The very rare causes of leukopenia in SOT patients is graft versus host disease or acquired hemophagocytic syndrome. In the differential diagnosis of leukopenia after the SOT we take into consideration the cancers including post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease. In addition, leukopenia after SOT may caused by other factors and internist diseases. Among IST patients, leukopenia accompanying agranulocytosis is a life-threatening disease and requires rapid diagnosis and effective causation treatment. The use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is safe, effective and sometimes necessary leukopenia treatment after SOT.