title: Immunosuppressive strategies to improve outcomes of kidney transplantation.
abstract: The introduction of several immunosuppressive agents over the past decade has reduced the rate of acute rejection significantly and has improved short-term renal allograft survival. However, their impact on long-term outcomes remains unclear. Current immunosuppressive strategies are focused on improving long-term graft and patient survival along with maintaining allograft function. The approval of the new immunosuppressive agents: rabbit antithymocyte globulin, basiliximab, daclizumab, tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and sirolimus, also has facilitated the development of steroid- and calcineurin inhibitor-sparing regimens in kidney transplantation. We discuss the impact of various immunosuppressive regimens on the outcome measures of kidney transplantation: acute rejection episodes, allograft survival, and renal function.
authors.affiliation: Transplantation Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Ignatius Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Herwig-Ulf
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Meier-Kriesche
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents