22.

The table provides the effect estimate (hazard ratio) of each pairwise comparison for retransplantation. The top half of the table indicates the effect estimates from the direct comparisons. The bottom half of the table indicates the effect estimates from the network meta‐analysis. For network meta‐analysis, to identify the effect estimate of a comparison, say A versus B, look at the cell that occupies the row corresponding to intervention A and the column corresponding to intervention B for the direct effect estimate. If that cell is empty (indicated by a '‐'), look at the row corresponding to intervention B and the column corresponding to intervention A. Take the inverse of this number (i.e. 1/number) to arrive at the treatment effect of A versus B. For direct comparisons, this is exactly the opposite; look at the cell that occupies the column corresponding to intervention A and the row corresponding to intervention B for the direct effect estimate. If that cell is empty, look at the column corresponding to intervention B and the row corresponding to intervention A. Take the inverse of this number to arrive at the treatment effect of A versus B. If the cell corresponding to B versus A is also missing in direct comparisons, this means that there was no direct comparison.

Treatment effects with evidence of difference are shown in italics. As presented, cyclosporine A is associated with a higher incidence of retransplantation than tacrolimus, and tacrolimus plus mycophenolate plus glucocorticosteroids showed a lower incidence of retransplantation than tacrolimus plus mycophenolate.

* single trial

Abbreviations: Tac = tacrolimus; Cy = cyclosporine A; Myc = mycophenolate; Aza = azathioprine; Std = glucocorticosteroids; _ = plus