Comparing the effect of induction therapy with or without antithymocyte globulin on renal allograft outcomes in live-donor kidney transplant recipients

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) in low-risk live-donor kidney transplant recipients (LDKTRs).  

In this cohort study, 114 LDKTRs were analyzed in 2 groups of ATG induction therapy (n=77) and control (n=37). In this study, 500 mg pulse therapy with methylprednisolone was provided for both groups for 3 days. In addition, one mg/kg of daily ATG was prescribed for 4 days in ATG induction group. Serum creatinine (Cr) was measured at 3, 7, 30, 90, and 180 days after surgery and discharge day. Acute rejection (AR) was confirmed based on biopsy or rise in serum Cr by three-tenths from baseline if other causes had been ruled out. Survival analysis was used by Stata14 and p < 0.05 was considered significant.  

  Cr changes were not significantly different between ATG induction therapy and control group in all follow-up periods (2.26 and 1.07 in ATG vs 2.26 and 1.03 in control group from the third day; (p=0.999) to the sixth month (p=0.735)). There was no significant difference between the 2 study groups in AR incidence (11.7% in ATG vs 10.8% in control group, P = 0.890) and its time (9.6 in ATG vs 9.8 in control group, p=0.695). Recipients factors were baseline Cr >10 mg/dL (p=0.055), blood group AB (p=0.007), no postoperative pulse therapy with methylprednisolone (PM) (p=0.005); and donors’ factors were age ≤ 30 years (p=0.022) and blood group AB (p=0.006). Also, based on the log rank analysis, recipient-donor weight difference of 0 to 5 kg (p=0.047) had a significant association with earlier AR. Exploring these effects simultaneously by Cox regression analysis showed only significant results for recipients' baseline Cr (p=0.040) and postoperative therapy with PM (p=0.014). 

Both strategies of induction therapy had the same good results based on Cr decrease. Recipients' baseline Cr and postoperative therapy with PM were the predictors of survival time of the kidney (AR).