FOLLOWUP OF CYCLOSPORINETREATED PEDIATRIC RENAL ALLOGRAFT RECIPIENTS AFTER CESSATION OF PREDNISONE

We attempted cessation of prednisone therapy in 16 pediatric renal allograft recipients who were between the ages of 3/2and 16 years at the time of transplantation. Fourteen had primary grafts and 2 had second grafts. Nine had cadaver and 7 had living-related donor grafts. At the time of cessation of prednisone, cyclosporine was the only other immunosuppressive therapy for 15 of the patients and 1 patient was receiving CsA and azathioprine. All the patients had stable serum creatinines at the time prednisone was stopped, between 7 months and 5 years posttransplantation.