RANDOMIZED STUDY WITH CYCLOSPORINE IN KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION - 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

This study presents the 10-yr follow-up results of a multicenter contr olled trial on 108 recipients of cadaveric renal transplantation, rand omized to receive cyclosporine (N = 55) or azathioprine (N = 53), both in combination with steroids, The 10-yr patient survival rate was 89% in the cyclosporine group and 83% in the azathioprine group (P = not significant (NS)); the 10-yr graft survival was 56% and 35%, respectiv ely (log-rank test, P = 0.009), The half-life of grafts functioning af ter 1 yr was 15.4 +/- 3.9 versus 10.6 +/- 3.6, P = NS), The rate of ea rly rejection in the cyclosporine group was significantly lower than t hat in the azathioprine group (0.30 versus 1.4, P < 0.01), Although th e mean creatinine clearance rate was always higher in the azathioprine group, the decline in graft function from the first to the tenth yr w as not significantly different between the two groups (-13.0 +/- 16.4 versus -12.3 +/- 19 mL/min, P = NS). In cadaveric renal transplantatio n, cyclosporing allows better graft survival than azathioprine, not on ly in the short term but also in the long term, with similar attrition of graft function for up to 10 yr.