BACKGROUND: Current immunosuppressive therapies are very effective in preventing @entity697 ( @entity697 ) and @entity393 following renal transplantation. Newer agents now make it possible to develop equally efficacious but better tolerated and less toxic strategies. This is especially relevant for our ageing recipients. We now compare the efficacy of basiliximab combined with early low-dose @entity205 therapy to standard OKT3 induction therapy. METHODS: In this single-centre study, 100 consecutive recipients of cadaveric kidney transplants from November 1998 to August 2000 were treated with basiliximab combined with early low-dose @entity205 , reduced @entity230 and @entity618 ( @entity2098 ). Clinical outcomes at 100 d and 1 yr were compared with a group of 26 @entity1 transplanted from March 1995 to November 1998 who received OKT3, delayed full-dose @entity205 , high-dose @entity230 and @entity2098 . Amongst basiliximab treated @entity1 , we compared clinical outcomes in those older and younger than 60 yr. RESULTS: Both groups were similar except for a shorter cold ischaemic time in the basiliximab group. Length of stay, number of readmissions, total hospitalization days and @entity2803 were lower in the basiliximab group. Despite a 40% reduction in @entity230 , basiliximab-treated @entity1 had fewer biopsy-proven episodes of @entity697 (basiliximab 14% vs. OKT3 35%) and required less antilymphocyte antibody therapy. Clinical outcomes including @entity1 and graft survival were no different between groups. Long-term graft survival for @entity1 over 60 yr was limited primarily by mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with OKT3 induction therapy, the combination of early low-dose @entity205 and basiliximab is @entity134 sparing, effective, well tolerated and relatively safe.

Basiliximab plus low-dose XXXX vs. OKT3 for induction immunosuppression following renal transplantation.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity2803 :: ('MESH:D003586', 'Disease') :: ['cytomegalovirus infections'] @entity697 :: ('MESH:D000208', 'Disease') :: ['acute rejection', 'AR'] @entity205 :: ('MESH:D016572', 'Chemical') :: ['cyclosporin'] @entity2098 :: ('CHEBI:8764', 'Chemical') :: ['MMF'] @entity134 :: ('CHEBI:35341', 'Chemical') :: ['steroid'] @entity618 :: ('MESH:C063008', 'Chemical') :: ['mycophenolate mofetil'] @entity230 :: ('MESH:D013256', 'Chemical') :: ['steroids'] @entity393 :: ('MESH:D034381', 'Disease') :: ['graft loss']
@entity205 :: (MESH:D016572,Chemical) :: ['cyclosporin']
