Comparison of clinical outcomes between antithymocyte globulin and basiliximab in renal transplantation from donation after citizen death: a matched pair study

Abstract

Objective: To compare the safety and effectiveness between antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and basiliximab in deceased donor renal transplantation within matched groups where paired recipients received graft donations from same donors. Methods: A total of 124 cases of deceased donor kidney transplantation performed at Wuhan Tongji Hospital from January 2013 to November 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Based upon their induction therapies, the recipients receiving graft donations from same donors were divided into two groups, namely ATG group (n=62) and basiliximab group (n=62). Clinical data were gathered and comparisons were made between the two groups. Results: Delayed graft function (DGF) implicated less patients in the ATG group (11, 17.7%) compared with basiliximab group (21, 33.9%) (P=0.040). Duration of DGF was also significantly shorter in the ATG group than in the basiliximab group[(14.92±6.23) vs(20.26±7.89)days, P=0.048]. The rates of DGF were 5/18 in the ATG group and 10/15 in the basiliximab group (P=0.025), when subgrouping the patients with elevated risk factors (donor age >50 or a history of hypertension or graft cold ischemia time >24 h) for DGF. The acute rejection rates did not differ between the two groups significantly; comparable one-year graft and patient survival were observed between the ATG and basiliximab groups(all P>0.05). Conclusions: The duration of DGF and DGF rate after deceased donor renal transplantation is reduced by ATG, when compared with basiliximab. Moreover, in recipients with elevated risk factors for DGF, ATG diminishes DGF incidence significantly.