Few studies have looked at the effect of IL-2Ra induction on renal transplant outcomes in recipients with differing immunological risk. The initial randomized placebo-controlled study of IL-2Ra induction by Nashan et al. included predominantly low- and intermediate-risk (mean of 3 HLA-mismatches and pre-transplant PRA of <5%) deceased-donor renal transplant recipients maintained on corticosteroids and cyclosporine. In this study, the use of IL-2Ra was associated with a significant reduction in biopsy-confirmed

acute rejection and steroid-resistant selleck rejection.10 Similarly, Lawen et al. undertook a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of IL-2Ra in low- to intermediate-risk renal transplant recipients receiving triple immunosuppressive medications comprising of corticosteroids, cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil.15 The majority of the recipients (>85%) were receiving primary grafts with a mean of 3 HLA-mismatches and PRA level of <3%. In contrast to the previous

study, there was only a non-significant trend in favour of using IL-2Ra induction over placebo in the incidence of acute rejection. Unlike the study by Nashan et al. the rejection risk in the study by Lawen et al. was lower (34–52% and 15–27%, respectively). Even though the immunological risk of study recipients was similar in both studies, the difference in rejection risk between studies may be explained by lower amount of maintenance immunosuppression (without antimetabolite)

in the study Endonuclease by Nashan et al. resulting in increased rejection risk. Other prospective studies of the addition of IL-2Ra Buparlisib induction to dual immunosuppressive regimen with steroids and cyclosporine or azathioprine-based triple immunotherapy in low- to intermediate-risk renal transplant recipients have reported a significant reduction of rejection risk compared with placebo.12,16 Despite the benefit in reducing rejection risk, IL-2Ra induction has not been shown to be associated with improved graft or patient outcomes in these studies, although registry data from the Collaborative Transplant Study of 112 122 deceased-donor transplant recipient showed improved graft survival with the use of IL-2Ra compared with no induction.17 In contrast, our study suggested that the use of IL-2Ra in low-risk recipients was not associated with reduced rejection risk or graft and patient outcomes. However, the low-risk recipients included in our study were of lower immunological risk compared with recipients in other studies, as only recipients fulfilling the stringent criteria of primary grafts with ≤2 HLA-mismatches and PRA < 10% were included for analysis. Although the benefit of IL-2Ra induction has been clearly shown to reduce rejection risk in low- to intermediate-risk renal transplant recipients, this benefit appears to be more apparent in renal transplant recipients maintained on cyclosporine-based dual or triple immunosuppressive regimen.