BACKGROUND: The side effects associated with corticosteroids have led to efforts to minimize their use in renal transplant patients. In this study we compared two corticosteroid-free tacrolimus-based regimens with a standard triple therapy. METHODS: This was a 6-month, phase III, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter study. The total analysis set comprised 451 patients, randomized (1:1:1) to receive tacrolimus (Tac) monotherapy following basiliximab (Bas) administration (n=153), Tac/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (n=151), or, Tac/MMF/corticosteroids triple therapy as a control (n=147). RESULTS: The study was completed by 91.2% (triple therapy), 94.7% (Tac/MMF), and 82.4% (Bas/Tac) of patients. Patient baseline characteristics were similar in all groups. The incidences of biopsy-proven acute rejection were 8.2% (triple therapy), 30.5% (Tac/MMF), and 26.1% (Bas/Tac), p<0.001 (multiple test for comparison with triple therapy); Bas/Tac vs. Tac/MMF, p=ns. The incidences of corticosteroid-resistant acute rejection were 2.0%, 4.0%, and 5.2%, p=ns. Graft survival (95.9%, 96.7%, and 94.7%, p=ns) and patient survival (100%, 99.3%, and 99.3%, p=ns) were similar in all groups. Median serum creatinine at month 6 was 123.0 micromol/L (triple therapy), 134.7 micromol/L (Tac/MMF) and 135.8 micromol/L (Bas/Tac). The overall safety profiles were similar; differences (p<0.05) were reported for anaemia (24.5% vs. 12.6% vs. 14.5%), diarrhoea (12.9% vs. 17.9% vs. 5.9%), and leukopenia (7.5% vs. 18.5% vs. 5.9%) for the triple therapy, Tac/MMF, and Bas/Tac group, respectively. The incidences of new-onset diabetes mellitus were 4.6%, 7.1%, and 1.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION:Corticosteroid-free immunosuppression was feasible with the Bas/Tac and the Tac/MMF regimens. Both corticosteroid-free regimens were equally effective in preventing acute rejection, with the Bas/Tac therapy offering some safety benefits.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The side effects associated with corticosteroids have led to efforts to minimize their use in renal transplant patients. In this study we compared two corticosteroid-free tacrolimus-based regimens with a standard triple therapy. METHODS: This was a 6-month, phase III, open-label, parallel-group, multicenter study. The total analysis set comprised 451 patients, randomized (1:1:1) to receive tacrolimus (Tac) monotherapy following basiliximab (Bas) administration (n=153), Tac/mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) (n=151), or, Tac/MMF/corticosteroids triple therapy as a control (n=147). RESULTS: The study was completed by 91.2% (triple therapy), 94.7% (Tac/MMF), and 82.4% (Bas/Tac) of patients. Patient baseline characteristics were similar in all groups. The incidences of biopsy-proven acute rejection were 8.2% (triple therapy), 30.5% (Tac/MMF), and 26.1% (Bas/Tac), p<0.001 (multiple test for comparison with triple therapy); Bas/Tac vs. Tac/MMF, p=ns. The incidences of corticosteroid-resistant acute rejection were 2.0%, 4.0%, and 5.2%, p=ns. Graft survival (95.9%, 96.7%, and 94.7%, p=ns) and patient survival (100%, 99.3%, and 99.3%, p=ns) were similar in all groups. Median serum creatinine at month 6 was 123.0 micromol/L (triple therapy), 134.7 micromol/L (Tac/MMF) and 135.8 micromol/L (Bas/Tac). The overall safety profiles were similar; differences (p<0.05) were reported for anaemia (24.5% vs. 12.6% vs. 14.5%), diarrhoea (12.9% vs. 17.9% vs. 5.9%), and leukopenia (7.5% vs. 18.5% vs. 5.9%) for the triple therapy, Tac/MMF, and Bas/Tac group, respectively. The incidences of new-onset diabetes mellitus were 4.6%, 7.1%, and 1.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Corticosteroid-free immunosuppression was feasible with the Bas/Tac and the Tac/MMF regimens. Both corticosteroid-free regimens were equally effective in preventing acute rejection, with the Bas/Tac therapy offering some safety benefits.
Authors: Michael D Rizzari; Thomas M Suszynski; Kristen J Gillingham; Ty B Dunn; Hassan N Ibrahim; William D Payne; Srinath Chinnakotla; Erik B Finger; David E R Sutherland; Raja Kandaswamy; John S Najarian; Timothy L Pruett; Aleksandra Kukla; Richard Spong; Arthur J Matas Journal: Clin J Am Soc Nephrol Date: 2012-01-26 Impact factor: 8.237
Authors: T M Suszynski; K J Gillingham; M D Rizzari; T B Dunn; W D Payne; S Chinnakotla; E B Finger; D E R Sutherland; J S Najarian; T L Pruett; A J Matas; R Kandaswamy Journal: Am J Transplant Date: 2013-02-22 Impact factor: 8.086
Authors: Sunjae Bae; Jacqueline M Garonzik Wang; Allan B Massie; Kyle R Jackson; Mara A McAdams-DeMarco; Daniel C Brennan; Krista L Lentine; Josef Coresh; Dorry L Segev Journal: J Am Soc Nephrol Date: 2019-12-18 Impact factor: 10.121
Authors: Eveline Van Gurp; Jesus Bustamante; Antonio Franco; Lionel Rostaing; Thomas Becker; Eric Rondeau; Zenon Czajkowski; Andrzej Rydzewski; Antonio Alarcon; Petr Bachleda; Jiri Samlik; Dirk Burmeister; Luis Pallardo; Marie-Christine Moal; Boleslaw Rutkowski; Zbigniew Wlodarczyk Journal: J Transplant Date: 2010-10-05
Authors: Marcus N Scherer; Bernhard Banas; Kiriaki Mantouvalou; Andreas Schnitzbauer; Aiman Obed; Bernhard K Krämer; Hans J Schlitt Journal: Langenbecks Arch Surg Date: 2007-04-21 Impact factor: 3.445
Authors: Angela C Webster; Lorenn P Ruster; Richard McGee; Sandra L Matheson; Gail Y Higgins; Narelle S Willis; Jeremy R Chapman; Jonathan C Craig Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2010-01-20