Permanent withdrawal of prednisone in nekro-kidney transplantation.

Starting 2.5 (2.0-3.9) years after grafting prednisone (but not azathioprine) has been gradually reduced below the conventional maintenance dose of 10 mg per day in 43 and has up until now eventually been completely withdrawn in 23 out of 47 consecutive patients with a first nekro-kidney transplant, which was well functioning at 2 years after transplantation. There appeared to be an increased risk of rejection during reduction of prednisone from 10 to 2.5 mg per day, but 20 out of the 23 patients in whom prednisolone has by noe been completely withdrawn have maintained stable and normal graft function over an average period of 1.6 (0.1-3.0) years on zero prednisone.