The long‐term outcome of kidney transplantation in patients under cyclosporine – a developing country experience

The introduction of cyclosporine revolutionized the practice of solid organ transplantation. Although early studies showed better short-term results, the long-term benefits of cyclosporine appear to be more contentious. Our study investigated the outcome of sustained cyclosporine usage on patient and renal allograft survival in a developing country setting. All patients receiving primary renal transplants at our institution over a 23-yr period were included and data analysed for patient and graft survival rates using the Kaplan-Meier actuarial method. The patients receiving cyclosporine were compared with historical controls receiving conventional treatment. Early graft survival was superior in patients under cyclosporine but this benefit disappeared after the first year. There was no significant improvement in early patient survival in patients under cyclosporine but late survival was better in patients under conventional treatment. In our setting cyclosporine only improves early graft survival and does not have long-term benefit either on patient or graft survival.