Comparison of two different immunosuppressive dosages of methylprednisolone in clinical renal transplantation
Eklund, B.; Ahonen, J.; Häyry, P.; Kauste, A.; von Willebrand, E.; Lindström, B.L.
Scandinavian Journal of Urology and Nephrology. Supplementum 64: 179-184
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0300-8886 PMID: 6815790 Document Number: 170901
In order to study the immunosuppressive effect of methylprednisolone, thirty cadaver kidney recipients where randomly allocated into two groups: the low dose control group and the high dose experimental group. In 12 patients in the control group a clinical rejection episode occurred within two weeks of the transplantation, 3 rejections were irreversible, whereas 7 patients rejected in the experimental group, there were no irreversible rejections. In the low dose group the clinical rejection occurred significantly earlier. Fine needle aspiration biopsies of the grafts showed that the number of macrophages infiltrating the graft was significantly lower in the experimental group. Increasing the dose of methylprednisolone given prophylactically can modify the number and severity of rejection episodes early after renal transplantation.