Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31576371›Full record

ArticleTransplantation direct2019

Low-dose Rituximab and Thymoglobulin Induction With Steroid-free Maintenance Immunosuppression and Protocol Biopsies Improves Long-term Patient and Graft Survival After Kidney Transplantation: Survival and Safety Outcomes in More Than 1100 Patients From a Single Center.

Vivek Pathak, Devdas Madhavan, Kuppurajan Narayanasamy, Sampath Kumar, Vasanthan Ramalingam, Balasundaram Sengodagounder, Gabor Bodonyi-Kovacs

Open access · goldAbstract read
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Article in Transplantation direct, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Vivek PathakConsultant Nephrologist, Kovai Medical Center, Coimbatore, India.
Devdas MadhavanConsultant Urologist, Kovai Medical Center, Coimbatore, India.
Kuppurajan NarayanasamyConsultant Urologist, Kovai Medical Center, Coimbatore, India.
Sampath KumarConsultant Urologist, Kovai Medical Center, Coimbatore, India.
Vasanthan RamalingamConsultant Surgeon, Kovai Medical Center, Coimbatore, India.
Balasundaram SengodagounderConsultant Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeon, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore, India.
Gabor Bodonyi-KovacsAssistant Professor, Division of Nephrology, MFA, George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Kovai Medical Center and Hospital · INGeorge Washington University · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSteroid-free maintenance immunosuppression after kidney transplantation provides acceptable patient and graft survival and minimizes steroid-associated side effects among recipients with a low immunological risk. However, the long-term outcomes of such protocols, incorporating low-dose rituximab and thymoglobulin induction along with protocol biopsies, in non-European populations remains underreported.

methodsWe retrospectively analyzed 1142 consecutive kidney transplantations conducted at our center from July 2005 to October 2017. Immunosuppression protocol included induction with thymoglobulin and low-dose preoperative rituximab. Maintenance immunosuppression consisted of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil; prednisolone was discontinued on postoperative day 5. Protocol biopsies were carried out at 3 months and at 1, 5, and 10 years after transplantation-in addition to the indicated biopsies. The 12-year patient and graft survival and posttransplantation complications were studied.

resultsThe analysis of outcomes was conducted for 1111 transplant recipients. Patients (70.59%) remained steroid-free at 12 years after transplantation. The patient survival rates at 1, 5, and 12 years were 97.7%, 94.8%, and 92.4%, respectively. The corresponding graft survival rates were 97.2%, 90.9%, and 86.1%, respectively. Biopsy-proven acute rejection occurred in 12.7% of recipients, including 3.5% subclinical rejections. The cumulative incidence of graft loss was 6.56% at 12.3 years. The overall incidence of death was 5.3%.

conclusionsSteroid-free maintenance immunosuppression was associated with excellent long-term patient and graft survival rates and reduced incidence of prednisolone-related side effects, despite acceptable rejection rates. Low-dose rituximab with thymoglobulin induction with immediate steroid withdrawal and surveillance biopsies resulted in excellent long-term outcomes in our single-center experience.

Identifiers

PMID31576371
PMCPMC6708634
OpenAlexW2965568472

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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.