Effectiveness and safety of Basiliximab as induction therapy in liver transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study in a Tertiary Hospital in southern Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30968/jhphs.2025.161.1249Abstract
Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of basiliximab as induction therapy in adult patients undergoing liver transplantation at a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil. Methods: a retrospective cohort study was conducted with adult patients who underwent liver transplantation at a tertiary hospital in southern Brazil from January to December 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: standard immunosuppression regimen (Group 1) and basiliximab induction (Group 2). Sociodemographic variables (sex, age, ethnicity) were evaluated, along with the influence of potential determinants, such as reason for transplantation, pre- and post-transplant comorbidities, presence and type of adverse drug event (ADE), incidence of acute rejection, infections, length of hospital stay, graft loss, and death. Results: in 2023, 546 solid organ transplants were performed, of which 109 were liver transplants. Pediatric patients (32), retransplants (4), and patients undergoing multiple organ transplants (3) were excluded, totaling 70 patients. Of these, 51 received a standard immunosuppression regimen (Group 1), and 19 received basiliximab (Group 2). Regarding the sociodemographic profile, most patients were male (Group 1, 78.4%; Group 2, 68.4%) with a mean age of 58.5 and 54.8 years, respectively. Pretransplant renal dysfunction was slightly more frequent in Group 2 (p=0.05). Regarding post-transplant clinical outcomes, there were no significant differences in survival, infection rate or type, length of hospital stay, graft loss, or death between groups. The acute rejection rate was observed in 17.6% of patients in Group 1, while no cases were recorded in Group 2 (p=0.1). The occurrence of ADEs also did not differ significantly, with 17 cases in Group 1 and 5 cases in Group 2 (p=0.785). Conclusions: the use of basiliximab showed no significant differences in survival, acute rejection rate, or other important clinical outcomes, such as infections and mortality, compared to the standard immunosuppression regimen. Additional studies are needed to more precisely assess the role of basiliximab and identify subgroups of patients who may benefit from this intervention.
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