NCT00273559

A Study Comparing Outcomes of Kidney Transplants in Patients on Steroids Versus Those Who Discontinue Steroids

A Single Center, Open Label, Comparative, Controlled Trial to Assess the Risks and Benefits of Steroid Elimination vs. Steroid Therapy After Renal Transplantation

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Florida Hospital Transplant Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to compare the risks and benefits of steroid elimination versus steroid therapy in renal transplant patients particularly looking at the effects on bone mass, lipids, hypertension, and new onset diabetes.

Detailed description

The use of steroids after renal transplantation has been invaluable, resulting in higher rates of long term survival of the transplanted kidney. However, post-operative steroids are also associated with frequent post-operative and long term complications. There have been steroid elimination studies analyzing acute rejection rates, graft and patient survival. These studies show that many patients can safely have steroids withdrawn with equivalent results whan compared to those who remain on steroids. With this study we will be using a rapid steroid elimination protocol for 40 patients and compare 20 patients who remain on steroids. We hope to show a decreased rate of complications such as osteopenia/osteoporosis, new onset diabetes, and a decrease in cardiovascular risk factors such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Solumedrol will be given to all patients at the time of transplant followed by a prednisone taper. Those remaining on steroids will be discharged on prednisone 5 mg daily. Those in whom steroids are eliminated will be off prednisone by discharge.

Conditions

• Kidney Diseases

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	prednisone	group 2 will remain on 5 mg of prednisone for at least 90 days post transplant.

Timeline

• Start date: 2006-01-01
• Completion: 2008-12-01
• First posted: 2006-01-09
• Last updated: 2008-05-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States