Jonathan Bromberg

The efficacy and safety of early steroid withdrawal (ESW) in Black renal transplant recipients (RTR) remains uncertain, especially when combined with non‐lymphocyte depleting induction. This study compared patient and graft outcomes of older Black and Non‐Black RTR who received basiliximab induction followed by ESW. Included subjects in this single center, retrospective study were first‐time deceased and living donor RTR aged over 65 years who received basiliximab induction therapy and ESW. Black RTR and Non‐Black deceased donor RTR received an oral prednisone taper starting POD3 which was discontinued by POD21 per protocol. Of 139 patients (55 Black and 84 Non‐Black), the Black patient group included a higher percentage of deceased donors and hepatitis C positive donors, and more frequently underwent renal replacement therapy prior to transplant. One Black and zero Non‐Black RTR experienced graft loss within 3 years ( p = 1.0). Patient survival was similar at 1 year (93% vs. 97%, p = .16) and 3 years (91% vs. 96%, p = .17). Rejection‐free survival and biopsy‐proven rejection did not differ at 1 or 3 years. Median eGFR and change in eGFR also did not differ between groups. Black patients were maintained on significantly higher median mycophenolate doses from 6 months post‐transplant to the end of the study period ( p = .03 and .048). In older Black RTR, basiliximab induction followed by ESW produced comparable patient, graft, and rejection‐free survival compared to Non‐Black RTR over 3 years post‐transplant.