Efficacy of Daclizumab in an African-American and Hispanic renal transplant population

Current immunosuppressive regimens have decreased acute rejection rates dur ing the Ist year after renal transplantation. However, this decrease has no t been as marked in high-risk groups, such as African-American and Hispanic renal transplant recipients. We compared two simultaneous cohorts of altog ether 36 African-American and Hispanic renal transplant recipients. Cohort one received a regimen of mycophenolate mofetil, prednisone, and a calcineu rin inhibitor. The second cohort received the same protocol with the additi on of Daclizumab (1 mg/kg for five doses given every 2 weeks). The median f ollow-up was 15.2 months (range 11.8-1919 months). One patient in the Dacli zumab-treated group and seven patients in the control group experienced an acute rejection episode. The rejection-free survival was significantly high er in the Daclizumab-treated group (94.4%) as compared to the control group (66.7%, Log-rank < 0.05) at 17 months after transplantation. A Cox Proport ional Hazard model revealed lack of Daclizumab therapy as the only signific ant risk factor for acute rejection. (hazard ratio 7.0, 95% Cl = 1.1-48). T he addition of the IL-2 receptor blocker Daclizumab to a triple therapy reg imen may decrease early acute rejection in the high-risk groups of African- American and Hispanic patients.