Kidney Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Kidney Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Open prospective multicenter study of conversion to tacrolimus therapy in renal transplant patients experiencing ciclosporin-related side-effects.

Margreiter R, Pohanka E, Sparacino V, Sperschneider H, Kunzendorf U, Huber W, Lameire N, Andreucci VE, Donati D, Heemann U,

Landeskrankenhaus Innsbruck, Transplantation, Anichstr, Innsbruck, Austria. raimund.margreiter@uibk.ac.at

The hyperlipidemic and hypertensive effects of ciclosporin constitute a cardiovascular risk. Cosmetic side-effects are known to reduce patients' quality of life. This was a 6-month, open, prospective, multicentre study in 296 adult kidney transplant patients to evaluate the conversion from ciclosporin to a tacrolimus-based regimen. Primary indications for conversion were hyperlipidemia (n =77), hypertension (n = 72), hypertrichosis (n = 32) and gingival hyperplasia (n = 115). At month 6, hyperlipidemia and hypertension were at least moderately improved in 59.1% and 63.5% of patients, and strongly or completely resolved in 29% and 25%. Gingival hyperplasia and hypertrichosis were strongly or completely resolved in 73% and 72% of patients. Mean total cholesterol was reduced from 255 to 218 mg/dl. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced from 152.9 to 137.5 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from 90.7 to 85.8 mmHg. Ciclosporin-related side-effects resolved or improved after conversion to tacrolimus.

Published 13 June 2005 in Transpl Int, 18(7): 816-23.
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