Randomized study with cyclosporine in kidney transplantation: 10-year follow-up.

This study presents the 10-yr follow-up results of a multicenter controlled trial on 108 recipients of cadaveric renal transplantation, randomized to receive cyclosporine (N = 55) or azathioprine (N = 53), both in combination with steroids. The 10-yr patient survival rate was 89% in the cyclosporine group and 83% in the azathioprine group (P = not significant [NS]); the 10-yr graft survival was 56% and 35%, respectively (log-rank test, P = 0.009). The half-life of grafts functioning after 1 yr was 15.4 +/- 3.9 versus 10.6 +/- 3.6, P = NS). The rate of early rejection in the cyclosporine group was significantly lower than that in the azathioprine group (0.30 versus 1.4, P