High rejection rate during calcineurin inhibitor-free and early steroid withdrawal immunosuppression in renal transplantation

M.A. Gelens*, M.H. Christiaans, L.W.E. van Heurn, E.P. van de Berg-Loonen, C.J. Peutz-Kootstra, J.P. van Hooff

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease are major problems after renal transplantation. The effects of three immunosuppressive protocols on cardiovascular end points were investigated in a single-center, randomized, parallel (1-1-1) group. Acute rejection was a secondary safety endpoint. Groups were as follows: group one, tacrolimus+sirolimus; group two, tacrolimus+mycophenolate mofetil (MMF); group three, sirolimus+MMF+daclizumab. All groups received two days methylprednisolone only. The Ethical Committee demanded an interim analysis when 50% of the patients were included. In this analysis, 54 patients with a median follow-up of 9.2 months were studied. The Kaplan-Meyer analysis showed a difference in rejection free survival between group one (82%) and group three (34%, P=0.03) and between groups one and two (tacrolimus-based, 76%) and group three (calcineurin-free, 34%, P=0.04). Calcineurin-free immunosuppression with two days of steroids only showed an unacceptable high incidence of acute rejection and re-rejection, and the study had to be stopped.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1221-1223
JournalTransplantation
Volume82
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2006

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