The study will compare how well transplanted kidneys work and the response of people's immune systems as tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor (CNI), is withdrawn. In addition, this research study will evaluate whether reducing immunosuppression can decrease some of these side effects while still preventing rejection of the kidney.
Kidney transplantation is a treatment option for people with kidney disease. However, there is still much to learn about how to best care for the transplanted kidney and keep it functioning for a long time. Transplant recipients take immunosuppression (anti-rejection) drugs to prevent their body from rejecting the new kidney. These drugs are used to prevent the immune system from attacking the transplanted kidney. All anti-rejection medications have unwanted side effects. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of slowly removing tacrolimus, a CNI.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
52
Recipients of living-donor kidney allografts are given induction therapy with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG, Thymoglobulin®) and treated with a regimen of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), prednisone and tacrolimus. Subjects without any clinical acute rejection (AR) in the first 6 months, without borderline or acute rejection on the 6 month biopsy, and without donor-specific antibody (DSA) at anytime, including the 6 month test will be randomized (2:1) to tacrolimus (CNI) withdrawal.
Recipients of living-donor kidney allografts are given induction therapy with rabbit antithymocyte globulin (RATG, Thymoglobulin®) and treated with a regimen of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), prednisone and tacrolimus.
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Yale University School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Brigham & Women's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Percentage of Participants With Incremental IF/A Scores >2 at 24 Months Post-Randomization
The investigators were not able to assess this outcome, the effect of the intervention on interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (IF/TA; on a 2-year graft biopsy) due to the study's premature termination by the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) because of absence of equipoise on the basis of predetermined stopping rules.
Time frame: IF/TA scores on protocol biopsies obtained at 24 months post-randomization will be compared to those obtained at the time of implantation for this measurement.
Estimated GFR Using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology (CKD-EPI) Equation
Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a test to measure the level of kidney function. In this measure, the effects of tacrolimus withdrawal on long-term kidney function was assessed by comparing absolute 24 month eGFR (18 months post-randomization) and change in eGFR from 6 to 24 months (randomization to 18 months randomization). Lower numbers indicate poorer kidney function
Time frame: 6 months post-transplantation, 24 months post-transplantation
Incidence of Acute Rejection
Acute renal allograft rejection is defined as histological reading of borderline or greater determined by the local pathology laboratory. Participants suspected of having a rejection episode on the basis of clinical signs, symptoms, or on the basis of laboratory tests, had a renal ultrasound and underwent a renal transplant biopsy. Any detection of acute cellular rejection or acute humoral rejection resulted in participants in the 'Randomized to Tacrolimus Withdrawal' group to be restarted on tacrolimus and followed per the reduced follow-up schedule of events.
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-randomization
Allograft Survival Rate
Allograft survival is defined as participants who did not need to be re-transplanted or placed on dialysis due to the failure of their allograft transplantation during the course of this study.
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University of Michigan Hospital
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Washington University
St Louis, Missouri, United States
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York, New York, United States
University Hospitals of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
The Methodist Hospital
Houston, Texas, United States
Health Sciences Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
...and 1 more locations
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-randomization
Participant Survival Rate
Number of participants who did not die within the course of this study.
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-transplantation
Percentage of Participants With New Donor Specific Antibodies (DSAs)
Donor specific antibodies are antibodies that are directed against antigens expressed on donor organs. These antibodies can result in an immune attack on the transplanted organ, increasing risk of graft loss and/or rejection.
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-randomization
Percentage of Participants With Donor-Specific Memory Using Elispot
This endpoint was unable to be analyzed because the study was terminated early after stopping rules were met.
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-randomization
Percentage of Participants in the Experimental Arm Off Tacrolimus
Participants in the 'Randomized to Tacrolimus Withdrawal' group were considered fully withdrawn once they no longer received any doses of tacrolimus. Participants met this endpoint if they did not resume taking tacrolimus as of 18 months post randomization with stable allograft function and without rejection of donor-specific antibodies.
Time frame: 18 months post-randomization
Incremental Change in IF/TA Scores
This endpoint was unable to be analyzed because the study was terminated early after stopping rules were met.
Time frame: 6 to 18 months post-transplant
Measurement of Urinary Parameters Before and After Randomization
This endpoint was unable to be analyzed because the study was terminated early after stopping rules were met.
Time frame: 6 months post-transplantation to 18 months post-randomization