Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26465152›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2015

A Randomized 2x2 Factorial Clinical Trial of Renal Transplantation: Steroid-Free Maintenance Immunosuppression with Calcineurin Inhibitor Withdrawal after Six Months Associates with Improved Renal Function and Reduced Chronic Histopathology.

R Brian Stevens, Kirk W Foster, Clifford D Miles, Andre C Kalil, Diana F Florescu, John P Sandoz, Theodore H Rigley, Tamer Malik, Lucile E Wrenshall

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT00556933 (Prospective, Randomized 2 x 2 Factorial Trial of Rabbit Anti-thymocyte Globulin Induction), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT00556933 phase4completednot on this map

Prospective, Randomized 2 x 2 Factorial Trial of Rabbit Anti-thymocyte Globulin Induction (Single vs. Alternate Day Administration) at Renal Transplantation, With Delayed Calcineurin-inhibitor Withdrawal vs. Minimization

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of NebraskaRan2004 to 2011Enrolled180ConditionsEnd-stage Renal DiseaseArmsrabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - single dose, mycophenolate mofetil, rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin - 4 doses, sirolimus, tacrolimus
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. A Double-Blind, Double-Dummy, Flexible-Design Randomized Multicenter Trial: Early Safety of Single- Versus Divided-Dose Rabbit Anti-Thymocyte Globulin Induction in Renal Transplantation.American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons · 2016
    Trial
  5. Review
  6. Effects of transplantation-related immunosuppression on co-existent neuroendocrine tumours.QJM : monthly journal of the Association of Physicians · 2022
    Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

R Brian StevensDepartment of Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America.
Kirk W FosterDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
Clifford D MilesDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
Andre C KalilDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
Diana F FlorescuDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America.
John P SandozDepartment of Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America.
Theodore H RigleyDepartment of Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America.
Tamer MalikDepartment of Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America.
Lucile E WrenshallDepartment of Surgery, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, United States of America.
Wright State University · USUniversity of Nebraska Medical Center · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe two most significant impediments to renal allograft survival are rejection and the direct nephrotoxicity of the immunosuppressant drugs required to prevent it. Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI), a mainstay of most immunosuppression regimens, are particularly nephrotoxic. Until less toxic antirejection agents become available, the only option is to optimize our use of those at hand.

aimTo determine whether intensive rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) induction followed by CNI withdrawal would individually or combined improve graft function and reduce graft chronic histopathology-surrogates for graft and, therefore, patient survival. As previously reported, a single large rATG dose over 24 hours was well-tolerated and associated with better renal function, fewer infections, and improved patient survival. Here we report testing whether complete CNI discontinuation would improve renal function and decrease graft pathology.

methodsBetween April 20, 2004 and 4-14-2009 we conducted a prospective, randomized, non-blinded renal transplantation trial of two rATG dosing protocols (single dose, 6 mg/kg vs. divided doses, 1.5 mg/kg every other day x 4; target enrollment = 180). Subsequent maintenance immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus, a CNI, and sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor. We report here the outcome of converting patients after six months either to minimized tacrolimus/sirolimus or mycophenolate mofetil/sirolimus. Primary endpoints were graft function and chronic histopathology from protocol kidney biopsies at 12 and 24 months.

resultsCNI withdrawal (on-treatment analysis) associated with better graft function (p <0.001) and lower chronic histopathology composite scores in protocol biopsies at 12 (p = 0.003) and 24 (p = 0.013) months, without affecting patient (p = 0.81) or graft (p = 0.93) survival, or rejection rate (p = 0.17).

conclusionCNI (tacrolimus) withdrawal at six months may provide a strategy for decreased nephrotoxicity and improved long-term function in steroid-free low immunological risk renal transplant patients.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT00556933.

Indexed as

Kidney TransplantationAdolescentAdultAgedAnimalsAntilymphocyte SerumBiopsyCalcineurin InhibitorsDrug Administration ScheduleFemaleGraft RejectionHumansImmunosuppression TherapyImmunosuppressive AgentsKidneyMaleAntilymphocyte SerumCalcineurin InhibitorsImmunosuppressive AgentsMycophenolic AcidSirolimusSteroidsTacrolimus

Identifiers

PMID26465152
PMCPMC4605789
OpenAlexW1864633226

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.