Comparison 2. Glucocorticosteroid avoidance or withdrawal versus glucocorticosteroid‐containing immunosuppression (CNI subgroups).

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 Mortality	15	1323	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.93, 1.44]
1.1 Tacrolimus	11	802	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.17 [0.92, 1.51]
1.2 Cyclosporine A	4	521	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.10 [0.69, 1.74]
2 Graft loss including death	11	1002	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.90, 1.46]
2.1 Tacrolimus	8	585	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.12 [0.85, 1.47]
2.2 Cyclosporine A	3	417	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.23 [0.72, 2.09]
3 Acute rejection	16	1347	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.33 [1.08, 1.64]
3.1 Tacrolimus	11	802	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.35 [1.02, 1.77]
3.2 Cyclosporine A	5	545	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.30 [0.94, 1.80]
4 Infection	8	778	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.73, 1.05]
4.1 Tacrolimus	4	257	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.95 [0.72, 1.27]
4.2 Cyclosporine A	4	521	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.66, 1.05]
5 Chronic rejection	9	974	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.56, 2.10]
5.1 Tacrolimus	4	429	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.10 [0.44, 2.76]
5.2 Cyclosporine A	5	545	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.06 [0.41, 2.76]
6 Glucocorticosteroid‐resistant rejection	10	1020	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.14 [1.13, 4.02]
6.1 Tacrolimus	7	603	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.46 [1.01, 5.97]
6.2 Cyclosporine A	3	417	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.83 [0.74, 4.55]
7 Diabetes mellitus	12	1185	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.81 [0.66, 0.99]
7.1 Tacrolimus	9	709	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.91 [0.72, 1.15]
7.2 Cyclosporine A	3	476	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.61 [0.41, 0.90]
8 CMV infection	7	786	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.48, 1.16]
8.1 Tacrolimus	4	369	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.79 [0.46, 1.38]
8.2 Cyclosporine A	3	417	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.68 [0.33, 1.40]
9 HCV recurrence	10	477	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.92, 1.15]
9.1 Tacrolimus	5	194	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.99 [0.84, 1.16]
9.2 Cyclosporine A	5	283	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.07 [0.92, 1.23]
10 Malignancy	3	528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.52 [0.16, 1.74]
10.1 Tacrolimus	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.0 [0.24, 102.49]
10.2 Cyclosporine A	2	372	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.21 [0.04, 1.22]
11 Post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder	2	330	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.39 [0.36, 15.95]
11.1 Tacrolimus	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.0 [0.19, 21.61]
11.2 Cyclosporine A	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	3.21 [0.13, 77.77]
12 Renal insufficiency	4	447	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.93 [0.73, 1.19]
12.1 Tacrolimus	3	249	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.09 [0.73, 1.64]
12.2 Cyclosporine A	1	198	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.85 [0.63, 1.16]
13 Creatinine	4	309	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.11 [0.07, 0.16]
13.1 Tacrolimus	3	264	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.17 [0.12, 0.22]
13.2 Cyclosporine A	1	45	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.10 [‐0.19, ‐0.01]
14 Hypertension	10	1098	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.65, 0.90]
14.1 Tacrolimus	7	622	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.83 [0.65, 1.06]
14.2 Cyclosporine A	3	476	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.71 [0.58, 0.88]
15 Hyperlipidaemia	4	400	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.38, 1.48]
15.1 Tacrolimus	3	226	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.94 [0.44, 2.02]
15.2 Cyclosporine A	1	174	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.36 [0.07, 1.72]
16 Cholesterol	6	611	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐18.49 [‐22.02, ‐14.96]
16.1 Tacrolimus	3	264	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐18.38 [‐22.09, ‐14.67]
16.2 Cyclosporine A	3	347	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐19.56 [‐31.05, ‐8.07]