A retrospective comparison of the efficacy and safety in kidney transplant recipients with basiliximab and anti-thymocyte globulin

Background Induction therapy are utilized to achieve an adequate immunosuppression at the time of transplantation. The use of basiliximab or anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) for induction therapy has significantly reduced the incidence of acute rejection episodes post-transplantation. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of the basiliximab in patients with immuno-induction therapy after kidney transplantation with the ATG. Methods A retrospective analysis was carried out in kidney transplant recipients including 146 patients with the basiliximab and 116 cases with the ATG and the acute rejection, graft function, infective complications and 1-year and 5-year actuarial patient and graft survival after renal transplantation were compared between the two treatment groups. Results There were no statistically significant difference between groups regarding age, sex, cold ischemic time, warm ischemic time, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching type between the donor and recipient, lymphotoxin test and the use of immunosuppressive agents. There was no statistical significance regarding the incidence of the acute rejection (9.59% vs. 8.62%, P=0.481) and delayed graft function (10.27% vs. 9.48%, P=0.501) between groups. There were significantly lower lung infection incidence (5.48% vs. 12.93%, P=0.029) in the basiliximab-treated group in comparison with the ATG-treated group. One-year patient and graft survival rates were 98%, 97% for the basiliximab-treated group, and 95%, 73% for the ATG-treated group, respectively. Five-year patient and graft survival rates were 92%, 86% for the basiliximab-treated group and 93%, 72% for the ATG-treated group, respectively. Log rank test showed statistically significant difference with P=0.038 for patients and P=0.033 for grafts, respectively. There were significantly lower the incidence of granulocytopenia (8.22% vs. 17.24%, P=0.022) and thrombocytopenia (4.11% vs. 19.83%, P=0.000) after transplantation in the basiliximab-treated group in comparison with the ATG-treated group. There was no statistical significance regarding the incidence of the heart dysfunction after transplantation between the two groups (6.16% vs. 6.90%, P=0.502). Conclusion The immuno-induction therapy with the basiliximab in kidney transplant recipients is efficient and safe with less complication compared with the ATG. Chin Med J 2012;125(5):1135-1140