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Background. Highly HLA–sensitized kidney transplant candidates are difficult to desensitize, which reduces their chances of receiving a transplant. Methods. We administered tocilizumab as a monotherapy (8 mg/kg once a mo) to 14 highly sensitized kidney transplant candidates. Highest mean fluorescence intensities of anti-HLA antibodies obtained before and after tocilizumab administration were compared from raw and diluted sera. Results. The administration of tocilizumab significantly reduced dominant anti-HLA antibody sensitization. However, this decrease in mean fluorescence intensities was minor compared with the initial values. Conclusions. Tocilizumab as a monotherapy was not sufficient to allow highly sensitized kidney–transplant candidates to undergo transplantation and, therefore, was not an effective desensitization method.