CD25 blockade in kidney transplant patients randomized to standard-dose or high-dose basiliximab with cyclosporine, or high-dose basiliximab in a calcineurin inhibitor-free regimen.

An increased basiliximab dose may saturate T-cell CD25 receptors in kidney transplant patients receiving calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-free immunosuppression. In a 12-week study, 16 de novo kidney transplant patients were randomized to (i) 40 mg basiliximab with cyclosporine [n = 3] (controls), (ii) 80 mg basiliximab with cyclosporine [n = 6], or (iii) 80 mg basiliximab with everolimus (CNI-free) [n = 7], all with mycophenolic acid and steroids. Recruitment was stopped prematurely due to increased biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR) in the basiliximab 80 mg CNI-free group.