Early steroid withdrawal after liver transplantation: the Canadian tacrolimus versus microemulsion cyclosporin A trial: 1-year follow-up.

Corticosteroid therapy contributes significant toxicity to liver transplantation. The safety and efficacy of early steroid withdrawal were determined in patients treated with either tacrolimus or microemulsion cyclosporin A (micro-CsA). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who were steroid-free 1 year posttransplantation. From the seven Canadian adult liver transplant centers, 143 patients were randomly allocated oral treatment with either tacrolimus (n = 71) or micro-CsA (n = 72), together with corticosteroids and azathioprine. Eligibility criteria for steroid withdrawal included freedom from acute rejection for a minimum of 3 months, and prednisone