Mycophenolate mofetil reduces the risk of acute rejection less in African-American than in Caucasian kidney recipients.
Published
Journal Article
BACKGROUND: Multicenter clinical trials have shown that mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) reduces the risk of acute rejection, but it is unknown whether African-Americans constitute a subgroup of recipients less likely to benefit from MMF. METHODS: This study compared the acute rejection rates within 6 months of kidney transplantation in MMF-treated transplant patients with those on azathioprine (AZA) at a single center. The study population consisted of 353 consecutive recipients of cadaver or living donor kidney transplants. African-Americans constituted 43% of the patients on AZA and 49% of the patients on MMF. Variables used in a Cox regression analysis included MMF immunosuppression, recipient race, type of transplant, delayed graft function, postoperative immune induction, average cyclosporine trough level, and HLA mismatch. RESULTS: Significantly fewer patients on MMF experienced a biopsy-proven rejection episode than those treated with AZA (24% vs. 42%, respectively; relative risk [RR]=0.57, P=0.001). This decrease in risk was greater in Caucasian transplant recipients (MMF vs. AZA: 16% vs. 46%, RR=0.35, P < 0.001) than in African-American patients (32% vs. 36%, RR=0.88, P=0.6). Within each race stratum, the mean cyclosporine trough levels averaged over 2-week intervals were nearly identical for AZA- compared with MMF-treated patients. In the regression model, the effect of MMF on the incidence of rejection was again less in African-American than in Caucasian patients. CONCLUSIONS: Kidney recipients treated with MMF have a significantly lower risk of acute rejection within 6 months of transplantation than those given AZA. This reduction in risk is significantly less in African-American recipients than Caucasians.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Schweitzer, EJ; Yoon, S; Fink, J; Wiland, A; Anderson, L; Kuo, PC; Lim, JW; Johnson, LB; Farney, AC; Weir, MR; Bartlett, ST
Published Date
- January 27, 1998
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 65 / 2
Start / End Page
- 242 - 248
PubMed ID
- 9458022
Pubmed Central ID
- 9458022
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0041-1337
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1097/00007890-199801270-00017
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States