Single-center experience with cyclosporine therapy for kidney transplantation: analysis of a twenty-year period in 1200 patients

Abstract

Since the introduction of cyclosporine (CyA) in our center in February 1983, 1267 kidney transplant patients have received an immunosuppressive regimen based on CyA, usually in association with azathioprine and steroids and following an induction therapy in three quarters of patients. The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze our 20-year experience with CyA and examine the evolution of therapy during this period. Induction treatment has been less commonly used during the past 5 years. Even in the early years of our experience, CyA doses were low (under 6 mg/kg per day at 3 months after transplantation). Acute tubular necrosis was observed in 39.4% of patients. The incidence of acute rejection episodes has dramatically decreased since 1984, but the frequency of steroid-resistant rejection has remained constant (around 20%). The first year of transplantation, 32.7% of patients had arterial hypertension. De novo diabetes mellitus occurred in 2.5% of patients. An incidence of 11.8% of malignancies was observed. Skin cancer and lymphomas accounted for 50% and 12% of neoplasms. Five-year graft and patient survivals were 70% and 87%, respectively. Renal function remained remarkably constant during the first 10 years of follow-up with a mean creatinine of 150 micromol/L. Chronic allograft nephropathy resulted in 43% graft losses. In conclusion, CyA has been well tolerated in our patients. However, the occurrence of chronic allograft nephropathy was a major concern in our cohort.