What is the primary purpose of immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplant patients?

• A. To reduce the risk of organ rejection.
• B. To cure kidney disease.
• C. To enhance immune response to infections.
• D. To replace the need for anti-infective therapy.

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to prevent the body’s immune system from attacking the new organ. After a transplant, donor antigens can trigger the recipient’s T cells to launch an immune response that leads to rejection. Immunosuppressive therapy dampens and modulates that immune activity, reducing T-cell activation and proliferation so the graft can survive and function over time. This is why the primary purpose is to lower the risk of organ rejection.

It’s important to note that this approach isn’t about curing the kidney disease itself, nor does it boost immune responses to infections. In fact, it increases infection risk, which is why patients on immunosuppressants require careful infection surveillance and often anti-infective therapies.