title: Long-term results of cyclosporine-steroid therapy in 131 non-matched cadaveric renal transplants.
abstract: One-hundred-and-twenty-eight recipients of 131 consecutive, non-matched cadaver renal allografts were treated with cyclosporine and steroids. They have been followed for 4 to 6 yr. Cumulative patient survival at 1-yr was 92.2% and at 6yr it is 77.8%. Cumulative graft survival at 1-yr was 79.4% and at 6 yr it is 50.0%. After the high-risk 1st yr, the rate of graft loss was even and similar to that reported after the 1st yr for grafts treated with azathioprine and steroids. This indicates that cyclosporine nephrotoxicity has not had an obvious adverse effect on the survival of chronically functioning grafts. The results were better with primary grafting versus retransplantation, but were not significantly influenced by age, diabetes mellitus, or a delayed switch in patients from cyclosporine to azathioprine. We have concluded that cyclosporine-steroid therapy is safe and effective for long-term use after cadaveric renal transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Health Center of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO U.S.A.
authors.forename: Robert D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Starzl
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Hakala
authors.forename: Rodney J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Gerhard P J
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Schroter
authors.forename: J Thomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Well
authors.forename: Shunzaburo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwatsuki
authors.forename: Barbara J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Carpenter