Improving results of renal transplantation with multidrug therapy in patients over 50 years of age

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The results of 182 primary renal transplants in patients over 50 yr old were analyzed by two eras: 123 patients received standard therapy (antilymphocyte globulin, azathioprine and prednisone) during Era 1 (January 1968‐July 1979); while 25 patients received standard immunosuppression, and 34 received cyclosporine (cyclosporine plus prednisone) during Era 2 (August 1979‐April 1984). Our results indicate: (1) older patients during Era 1 did significantly poorer than younger patients (p < 0.03), (2) results in older patients receiving cyclosporine improved during Era 2, (3) the greatest improvement was seen in recipients of cadaveric grafts, (4) the incidence of acute rejection episodes was slightly higher (NS) in the standard treatment groups during Era 2; however, the cyclopsorine group had easily reversed rejections while the standard therapy group developed lethal infectious complications, and (5) results in older and younger patients receiving cyclopsorine are comparable. We conclude that cyclosporine allows older patients to be transplanted safely and with excellent results.