Comparison 4. Glucocorticosteroid avoidance or withdrawal versus glucocorticosteroid‐containing immunosuppression (induction therapy 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 No induction therapy	8	581	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.13 [0.85, 1.50]
1.2 Basiliximab	5	599	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.24 [0.85, 1.81]
1.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	1	104	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.13 [0.51, 2.50]
1.4 Daclizumab	1	39	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.32 [0.01, 7.35]
2 Graft loss including death	11	1002	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.15 [0.90, 1.46]
2.1 No induction therapy	6	451	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.00 [0.73, 1.39]
2.2 Basiliximab	4	512	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.45 [0.99, 2.12]
2.3 Daclizumab	1	39	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.19 [0.01, 3.73]
3 Acute rejection	16	1347	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.33 [1.08, 1.64]
3.1 No induction therapy	8	581	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.27 [0.94, 1.71]
3.2 Basiliximab	5	599	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.47 [1.05, 2.05]
3.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	2	128	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.77 [0.36, 1.67]
3.4 Daclizumab	1	39	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.22 [0.67, 7.34]
4 Infection	8	778	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.88 [0.73, 1.05]
4.1 No induction therapy	2	75	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.23 [0.86, 1.77]
4.2 Basiliximab	5	599	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.71, 1.07]
4.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	1	104	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.12 [0.02, 0.89]
5 Chronic rejection	9	974	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.08 [0.56, 2.10]
5.1 No induction therapy	4	374	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.86 [0.60, 5.78]
5.2 Basiliximab	3	472	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.73 [0.29, 1.89]
5.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	2	128	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.04 [0.16, 6.72]
6 Glucocorticosteroid‐resistant rejection	10	1020	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.14 [1.13, 4.02]
6.1 No induction therapy	5	421	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.46 [1.01, 5.97]
6.2 Basiliximab	5	599	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 No induction therapy	6	482	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.93 [0.69, 1.24]
7.2 Basiliximab	5	599	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.80 [0.60, 1.06]
7.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	1	104	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.23 [0.07, 0.77]
8 CMV infection	7	786	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.74 [0.48, 1.16]
8.1 No induction therapy	4	374	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.84 [0.50, 1.44]
8.2 Basiliximab	3	412	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.60 [0.27, 1.30]
9 HCV recurrence	10	477	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.92, 1.15]
9.1 No induction therapy	4	133	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.99 [0.84, 1.18]
9.2 Basiliximab	4	273	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.03 [0.90, 1.18]
9.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	2	71	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.31 [0.55, 3.11]
10 Malignancy	3	528	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.52 [0.16, 1.74]
10.1 No induction therapy	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	5.0 [0.24, 102.49]
10.2 Basiliximab	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 No induction therapy	1	156	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	2.0 [0.19, 21.61]
11.2 Basiliximab	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 No induction therapy	3	249	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.09 [0.73, 1.64]
12.2 Basiliximab	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 No induction therapy	3	209	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐0.08 [‐0.15, ‐0.01]
13.2 Basiliximab	1	100	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.25 [0.19, 0.31]
14 Hypertension	10	1098	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.76 [0.65, 0.90]
14.1 No induction therapy	5	435	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.57, 1.08]
14.2 Basiliximab	4	559	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.87 [0.72, 1.05]
14.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	1	104	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.30 [0.16, 0.57]
15 Hyperlipidaemia	4	400	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.75 [0.38, 1.48]
15.1 No induction therapy	2	139	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	1.02 [0.38, 2.72]
15.2 Basiliximab	2	261	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.57 [0.22, 1.49]
16 Cholesterol	6	611	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐18.49 [‐22.02, ‐14.96]
16.1 No induction therapy	2	99	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐51.27 [‐76.48, ‐26.06]
16.2 Basiliximab	3	408	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐17.10 [‐20.69, ‐13.51]
16.3 Rabbit antithymocyte globulin	1	104	Mean Difference (IV, Fixed, 95% CI)	‐70.0 [‐100.17, ‐39.83]