title: Comparison of 2-drug and 3-drug immunosuppression for cadaveric renal transplantation.
abstract: We compare the results in recipients of cadaveric renal allografts immunosuppressed with cyclosporine and prednisone to those who received immunosuppression with cyclosporine, azathioprine and prednisone. The 2 groups were compared relative to HLA-ABDR matching, plasma reactive antibodies, cold ischemia time, diabetes as a cause of renal failure and recipient age greater than 50 years. The incidences of clinical allograft rejection and grafts lost to rejection were not significantly different in these 2 groups evaluated at 1 year. In the 2-drug immunosuppressed group the actual 3, 6 and 12-month graft function was 87, 86 and 85%, respectively, compared to 79, 78 and 74%, respectively, in the 3-drug immunosuppressed group. A difference in graft survival was due to graft loss secondary to vascular thrombosis and patient death, and not to immunological events. No advantage was demonstrated for the use of 3-drug immunosuppression for kidney allografts over a 2-drug protocol of cyclosporine and prednisone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California Irvine.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tertzakian
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruzics
mesh_terms: D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002102:Cadaver; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D006680:HLA Antigens; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone