“
“Objectives:

Steroids have been a gold-standard drug of immunosuppressive regimens in kidney transplantation. Steroid minimization protocols have been applied to minimize the adverse effects of steroids. We have evaluated the short-term outcomes of our early steroid discontinuation regimen.

Methods:

A total of 128 recipients who received kidney from ABO-compatible, flow crossmatch-negative living-related

donors were included in this study. Immunosuppressive regimens consisted of tacrolimus (TAC), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and basiliximab. In a cohort of recipients, designated as a steroid early discontinuation (ESD) group, only three doses of methylprednisolone (MP) were given Ganetespib solubility dmso (500, 250, 125 mg). In the other cohort of recipients, designated as a chronic steroid (CS) group, MP was given chronically, being tapered to 4 mg at one month AZD5582 post-transplant. TAC and mycophenolic acid (MPA) blood levels were monitored. The following data were retrospectively compared between the two groups at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 months post-transplant:

serum creatinine (sCr), urine protein per gCr (uP/Cr), the incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR), graft survival (GS), area-under-the-curve of blood levels of tacrolimus (TAC-AUC(0-12), ng h/mL) and mycophenolic acid (MPA-AUC(0-12), mu g h/mL), MMF dose (mg), the incidence of opportunistic infection, post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM), and histopathologic findings of protocol biopsy according to the

Banff ’07 classification.

Results:

sCr and uP/Cr were comparable between Cl-amidine cost the two groups up to 12 months except for sCr at one month (ESD group > CS group). TAC-AUC(0-12) was significantly higher in ESD group at one month but was equivalent thereafter, while the prevalence of biopsy-proven tubulotoxicity was not different. MMF dose was comparable throughout the period between two groups. The incidence of BPAR until 12 months was equivalent. Of note, 60% of BPAR cases in ESD group occurred within one month. Prevalence of opportunistic infection or PTDM was equivalent. Graft survival was 100% in both groups. The following histopathologic scores up to 12 months were also equivalent: t, i, g, v, ci, ct, cg, cv, mm, ah, and ptc.

Conclusions:

Favorable short-term outcomes were achieved both clinically and histologically using our early steroid discontinuation protocol compared with the conventional protocol with chronic steroid treatment.”
“This study examined the influence of education on smoking status in a cohort (n = 316) of pregnant women who were smokers at the time they learned of the current pregnancy. Subjects were participants in clinical trials examining the efficacy of monetary-based incentives for smoking-cessation and relapse prevention.