Switching immunosuppression from cyclosporine to tacrolimus improves long-term kidney function: a 6-year study.

To improve long-term kidney graft function, acute graft rejection, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and toxic influences must be avoided because they may contribute to chronic allograft nephropathy. Many studies have demonstrated greater efficacy and tolerability of tacrolimus compared with cyclosporine with regard to these conditions. Our study investigated whether 30 patients with deteriorating renal function benefitted from conversion to tacrolimus based upon a retrospective analysis using data recorded from 3 years before to 3 years after conversion.

Differential effects of cyclosporine and tacrolimus on mycophenolate pharmacokinetics in patients with impaired kidney function.

In a single-center prospective randomized controlled study, the impact of calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) reduction or withdrawal on the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) was studied in a group of renal transplant recipients with impaired renal function. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was added to a baseline regimen of prednisolone and CNI. Afterwards the patients were randomized into "CNI withdrawal" and "CNI continuation" groups.

Determination of cyclosporine and its metabolites in blood via HPLC-MS and correlation to clinically important parameters.

The narrow therapeutic window of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine (CsA), the interindividual variability of its metabolism, and the immunosuppressive activity/toxicity of some metabolites require investigation to correlate the parent substance and its metabolites and observed clinical parameters. Improved knowledge about these correlations may improve postoperative treatment of transplant patients. To observe such correlation therapeutic drug monitoring was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) on 202 blood samples of kidney transplant patients.