Patient outcomes in two steroid-free regimens using tacrolimus monotherapy after daclizumab induction and tacrolimus with mycophenolate mofetil in liver transplantation.

Introduction. Long-term steroid administration may predispose liver transplant recipients to infectious and metabolic complication. Maintaining effective immunoprophylaxis while minimizing the negative consequences of steroid therapy could be a key factor in improving clinical outcomes.Methods. Six hundred two patients were randomized to receive tacrolimus (TAC) immunosuppression with a single-steroid bolus and two doses of daclizumab (DAC) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).Results. The incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection was 19.7% in the TAC/DAC group and 16.2% in the TAC/ MMF group (ns). Three-month patient and graft survival were similar. Steroid use at month-3 was low at 5.5% in the…