Prospective observational study of sirolimus as primary immunosuppression after renal transplantation

Transplantation. 2009 Oct 27;88(8):1010-8. doi: 10.1097/TP.0b013e3181b9d0da.

Abstract

BACKGROUND.: Sirolimus (SRL) is an important component of clinical immunosuppression in renal transplantation, but few international studies have examined how this agent is used in routine practice. METHODS.: Within a large prospective pharmacoepidemiological study, 718 de novo renal graft recipients treated with SRL in 65 centers in 10 countries were monitored for up to 5 years posttransplant to compare the principal outcomes and adverse effects by treatment regimen. RESULTS.: Principal treatment regimens were SRL without a calcineurin inhibitor (33%), SRL+cyclosporine A (CsA) (33%), and SRL+tacrolimus (TAC) (34%); 18% of subjects discontinued SRL, 124/718 (17%) developed biopsy-confirmed acute rejection (BCAR), 64/718 (9%) lost their graft, and 50/718 (7%) died during follow-up. Calculated creatinine clearance was 66+/-26 mL/min at 2 years. The most common adverse events were hypertension, hyperlipidemia, anemia, urinary tract infections, and diabetes. BCAR was significantly lower in subjects receiving SRL+TAC (hazard ratio [HR] 0.46, P=0.009) but not significantly lower in those receiving SRL+CsA (HR 0.62, P=0.102) compared with SRL without a calcineurin inhibitor. Graft loss or death did not significantly differ between treatment groups but were associated, respectively, with deceased donor grafts (HR 3.33, P<0.001) and increased age (HR 1.04, P<0.001). No improvement was observed in patients receiving mycophenolate mofetil in any treatment combination (HR 0.80, P=0.438 for BCAR; HR 0.93, P=0.849 for graft loss; and HR 0.75, P=0.531 for death). CONCLUSIONS.: SRL is most commonly used in combination with mycophenolate mofetil, CsA, or TAC. BCAR was least common in subjects receiving SRL+TAC, but other outcomes seemed comparable between the treatment regimens in routine practice.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Anemia / chemically induced
  • Cohort Studies
  • Creatinine / metabolism
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Graft Rejection / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Hyperlipidemias / chemically induced
  • Hypertension / chemically induced
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use
  • Kidney Transplantation / immunology*
  • Kidney Transplantation / mortality
  • Kidney Transplantation / physiology
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Observer Variation
  • Prospective Studies
  • Sirolimus / adverse effects
  • Sirolimus / therapeutic use*
  • Tacrolimus / therapeutic use*
  • Urinary Tract Infections / chemically induced

Substances

  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Creatinine
  • Sirolimus
  • Tacrolimus