Acute rejection characteristics from a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of early corticosteroid withdrawal.

Publication Type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2013
Authors
Gaber, A Osama; Moore, Linda W; Alloway, Rita R; Woodle, E Steve; Pirsch, John; Shihab, Fuad; Henning, Alice; Fitzsimmons, William; Holman, John; Reisfield, Robin; First, M Roy; Astellas Corticosteroid Withdrawal Study Group
Secondary
Transplantation
Volume
95
Pagination
573-9
Date Published
2013 Feb 27
Keywords
Acute Disease; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; African Americans; Age Factors; Antilymphocyte Serum; Biopsy; Double-Blind Method; Drug Administration Schedule; Drug Therapy, Combination; Graft Rejection; Graft Survival; Histocompatibility; HLA Antigens; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; kidney transplantation; Multivariate Analysis; Mycophenolic Acid; Odds Ratio; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Tacrolimus; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; United States
Abstract

BACKGROUND: This report characterizes acute rejection and rejection outcomes in subjects randomized to continuous corticosteroid therapy (CCS) or early corticosteroid withdrawal (CSWD; 7 days after transplantation) in the Astellas Blinded CSWD Trial.

METHODS: The Astellas Blinded CSWD Trial was a 5-year, prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial of early CCS withdrawal in 386 kidney transplant recipients (195 CCS and 191 CSWD). Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil were required as well as either rabbit antithymocyte globulin or interleukin-2 receptor antibody induction. Biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (BCAR) was grade 1A or higher by Banff criteria. This report also provides borderline changes (BL) that did not meet Banff grade 1A included with BCAR (BCAR+BL).

RESULTS: BCAR+BL was 25 (12.8%) in CCS group and 42 (22.0%) in CSWD group (P=0.022). Early BCAR+BL (first 90 days after transplantation) was less frequent in CCS (n=5 [2.6%]) than in CSWD (n=22 [11.5%]; P<0.001). Among non-African-American subjects, early BCAR+BL occurred more often in CSWD (n=20 [12.7%]) versus CCS (n=2 [1.3%]; P<0.001). Late acute rejection (>2 years) occurred more often in African-American subjects in CCS (n=5 [13.9%]) than in CSWD (n=0; P=0.056). Risk factors were CSWD (hazard ratio [HR], 4.72; P<0.002) and human leukocyte antigen mismatch (HR, 1.48; P<0.005) for early BCAR+BL and CSWD (HR, 1.9; P<0.02), human leukocyte antigen mismatch (HR, 1.2; P<0.01), and age (HR, 0.97; P<0.002) for 5-year rejection. The HR for graft loss associated with BCAR+BL was 8.8.

CONCLUSIONS: BCAR+BL may occur more frequently during the early period after transplantation under an early CSWD regimen with tacrolimus plus induction compared with CCS, particularly among non-African-Americans.