title: The effects of a maintenance immunosuppressive protocol after renal transplantation on infectious complications, comparing cyclosporine/prednisone, cyclosporine/azathioprine/prednisone, and conversion.
abstract: Infectious complications of either high-dose (16 mg/kg/day) or low-dose (9 mg/kg/day) cyclosporine in combination with azathioprine (Aza) (1 mg/kg/day) were studied in 128 renal transplant patients who also received low-dose prednisone (P). Three months after transplantation all patients were again randomly assigned to either continuation with CsA/P or conversion to Aza/P. During the first 3 months the number of infections was significantly lower in the CsA/P treatment than in the CsA/Aza/P group. In both groups the number of infections doubled after rejection treatment. The frequence of symptomatic CMV disease did not differ between the 2 groups. Three months after transplantation, the patient group assigned to Aza/P had a small but not significant increase of minor infections when compared with the patients who continued with CsA/P. The number of major infections did not differ between these two groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: van Dorp
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: van Es
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van der Woude
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone