Abstract
AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of a single-dose daclizumab induction therapy in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). METHODS: A retrospective study was made for 54 cases of OLTx in recent three years. The daclizumab group consisted of 23 cases of OLTx who received single-dose of 2 mg/kg intravenously after postoperative 24 hours. The control group consisted of the remaining 31 patients. Additional immunosuppressors included steroids, mycomphenolate mofetil, facrolimus or microemulsion cyclosporine used in all patients. Meta-statistical analysis was made for general data, incidence of acute rejection and infection, postoperative clinical course, complications and prognosis between two groups. RESULTS: Pretransplant demographies were not significantly different between two groups. In the induction group there were significantly less acute rejection episodes (5 of 23, 21.74 %) than those in the control group (12 of 31, 38.71 %), which were proved by pathologic diagnosis (P<0.05). The incidence of infection at the early stage was not significantly different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Induction therapy with single-dose of daclizumab is safe and effective and appears to be able to reduce the incidence of acute rejection.