Objective To compare the positive and negative effects of tacrolimus and ciclosporin as
initial treatment for renal transplant recipients. Design Systematic review. Data sources and
study selection Reports of comparative randomised trials of tacrolimus and ciclosporin
identified by searches of Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, the
Cochrane Renal Group Specialist Register, and conference proceedings. Data extraction
and synthesis Two reviewers assessed trials for eligibility and quality and extracted data …

Background Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for most patients with end‐
stage renal disease (ESRD). Standard protocols in use typically involve three drug groups
each directed to a site in the T‐cell activation or proliferation cascade which are central to
the rejection process: calcineurin inhibitors (eg cyclosporin, tacrolimus), anti‐proliferative
agents (eg azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil) and steroids (prednisolone). It remains
unclear whether new regimens are more specific or simply more potent …