Efficacy and Safety of Basiliximab Versus Daclizumab in Kidney Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis

Interleukin-2 receptor antagonists (IL-2RAs) have been extensively used in kidney transplant patients to prevent the occurrence of acute rejection. The efficacy and safety of basiliximab and daclizumab, the 2 most commonly used IL-2RAs in clinics, have been compared in a number of randomized controlled trials, but no definite conclusions have been drawn.

This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of basiliximab and daclizumab in kidney transplant patients.

We performed keyword searches in Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane library. In total, 6 randomized controlled trials with 509 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Data collected included patient survival, graft survival, acute rejection, infection, and cytomegalovirus infection. The outcome measure was the relative risk of basiliximab versus daclizumab.

Therapy with basiliximab and daclizumab resulted in similar outcomes regarding acute rejection (6-month 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09-1.14; 12-month 95% CI, 0.53-1.91), patient survival (95% CI, 0.97-1.04), graft survival (95% CI, 0.98-1.08), infection (95% CI, 0.66-1.01), and cytomegalovirus infection (95% CI, 0.45-1.14) within the follow-up period. There were no significant differences in safety and efficacy between the 2 drugs.

The safety and efficacy of daclizumab and basiliximab are similar in kidney transplant recipients.