Long-term immunosuppression, without maintenance prednisone, after kidney transplantation.
BACKGROUND
Concern exists that prednisone-free maintenance immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients will increase acute and/or chronic rejection.


METHODS
From October 1, 1999, through February 29, 2004, at our center, 477 kidney transplant recipients (341 living donor, 136 cadaver) discontinued prednisone on postoperative day 6, per our protocol. Immunosuppression consisted of polyclonal antibody (Thymoglobulin) for 5 days, prednisone intraoperatively and for 5 days, a calcineurin inhibitor, and either sirolimus or mycophenolate mofetil. We compared outcome with that of historical controls who did not discontinue prednisone.


RESULTS
The recipients on prednisone-free maintenance immunosuppression had excellent 4-year actuarial patient survival (92%), graft survival (90%), acute rejection-free graft survival (86%), and chronic rejection-free graft survival (95%). The mean serum creatinine level (+/- SD) at 1 year was 1.6 +/- 0.6; at 4 years, 1.6 +/- 0.6. We noted that 8% of recipients had cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease; 4.5%, fractures; 2.8%, cataracts; 1%, posttransplant diabetes; 0.2%, avascular necrosis; 0.2%, posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease; and 0%, polyomavirus. In all, 85% of kidney recipients with functioning grafts remain prednisone-free as of April 1, 2004. As compared with historical controls, the recipients on prednisone-free maintenance immunosuppression had better patient (P = 0.02) and graft survival (P < 0.0001) and lower rates of acute (P = 0.0004) and chronic (P = 0.02) rejection. In addition, they had a significantly lower rate of CMV disease (P < 0.0001), cataracts (P < 0.0001), posttransplant diabetes (P < 0.0001), and avascular necrosis (P = 0.0003).


CONCLUSIONS
Prednisone-related side effects can be minimized without maintenance immunosuppression; our prednisone-free recipients do not have increased acute or chronic rejection.
Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA. matas001@umn.edu
Arthur J
AJ
Matas
Raja
R
Kandaswamy
Abhinav
A
Humar
William D
WD
Payne
David L
DL
Dunn
John S
JS
Najarian
Rainer W G
RW
Gruessner
Kristen J
KJ
Gillingham
Lois E
LE
McHugh
David E R
DE
Sutherland
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011241:Prednisone