Faculty Collaboration Database

A randomized trial comparing cyclosporine with antilymphoblast-globulin-azathioprine for renal allograft recipients. Results at 2 1/2-6 years. Transplantation 1988 Feb;45(2):380-5

Date

02/01/1988

Pubmed ID

3278431

DOI

10.1097/00007890-198802000-00027

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0023838999 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   11 Citations

Abstract

Between September 1980 and June 1984, 246 splenectomized, transfused renal allograft recipients were stratified according to presence of diabetes and donor source, and randomized to treatment with either cyclosporine (CsA)-prednisone (pred) or antilymphoblast-globulin (ALG--azathioprine (AZA)--prednisone. As of August 1986, mean follow-up is 47 months. Over all, actuarial patient survival is 84% and 83%, respectively at 4 years. Corresponding graft survival is 70% and 63% for CsA-treated and ALG-AZA-treated patients (NS). Within the subgroup of diabetic recipients of cadaver grafts, graft survival is 70% for CsA-treated and 53% for ALG-AZA-treated recipients (P = .035). In the CsA group, 71% required either a significant reduction in CsA dosage with the addition of azathioprine or a complete switch to azathioprine, mainly because of CsA-associated nephrotoxicity. Of those CsA patients switched at a mean time of 21.3 +/- 16.4 months posttransplant with mean serum creatinine of 2.40 +/- .67, current serum creatinine is 1.79 +/- .63. Current mean serum creatinine values are significantly greater for patients randomized to CsA-pred (1.73 +/- .60) vs. ALG-AZA-pred (1.49 +/- .59), P = .014, even though most CsA-treated patients were eventually switched. The causes of graft loss are not different between CsA and ALG-AZA randomized patients. In nondiabetics, rejection is the most common cause of graft loss (17/33), whereas in diabetics loss due to complications from overimmunosuppression or death from cardiovascular events is significantly more common (27/44) than corresponding losses in nondiabetics (6/33, P less than .05). Switching does not seem to influence the incidence or cause of graft loss. Since most patients started on CsA-prednisone are ultimately switched to triple drug therapy, the latter is now the preferred initial treatment modality.

Author List

Johnson CP, Simmons RL, Sutherland DE, Canafax DM, Ascher NL, Payne WD, Flick B, Najarian JS, Fryd DS

Author

Christopher P. Johnson MD Professor in the Surgery department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Adult
Antilymphocyte Serum
Azathioprine
Clinical Trials as Topic
Creatinine
Cyclosporins
Diabetic Nephropathies
Drug Therapy, Combination
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Graft Rejection
Graft Survival
Humans
Kidney Transplantation
Male
Middle Aged
Random Allocation