Corticosteroid minimization in renal transplantation: Careful patient selection enables feasibility

Table 1 Characteristics of the multi-center, randomized Astellas Corticosteroid Withdrawal Study with a follow-up time of 5 years[8]

	CS withdrawal at day 7 arm (n = 191)	Standard CS arm (n = 195)	P-value
Baseline demographic, immunological risk and immunosuppressive therapy data
Age (mean ± SD, yr)	46.6 ± 12.2	46.2 ± 12.7	NS
Female gender (%)	30.9	36.4	NS
African American (%)	17.8	21.5	NS
Deceased donor (%)	43.5	42.6	NS
Cold ischemic time (mean ± SD, h)	18.4 ± 5.7	17.2 ± 7.3	NS
HLA mismatch (mean)	3.5	3.5	NS
Current PRA (mean ± SD)	1.6 ± 5.3	1.8 ± 5.5	NS
Induction immunosuppression (%)			NS
Thymoglobulin	65.4	69.7
Basiliximab	31.4	27.2
Daclizumab	3.1	3.1
Maintenance immunosuppression	TAC, MMF	TAC, MMF
Main outcomes
Biopsy-proven acute rejection (%)	17.8	10.8	0.04 (with Kaplan-Meier analysis)
Allograft survival (%)	94.2	93.3	NS
Patient survival (%)	94.2	96.4	NS
Creatinine clearance (Cockroft-Gault equation, mean ± SD, mL/min)	58.6 ± 19.7	59.8 ± 20.5	NS

CS: Corticosteroid; HLA: Human leukocyte antigens; MMF: Mycophenolate mofetil; NS: Not significant; PRA: Panel-reactive antibodies; SD: Standard deviation; TAC: Tacrolimus.