Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism of CYP3A5 Impacts the Exposure to Tacrolimus in Pediatric Renal Transplant Recipients: A Pharmacogenetic Substudy of the TWIST Trial.

Background: The pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolic acid (MPA) are highly variable. An impact of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the genes coding for enzymes and transporters involved in the pharmacokinetics of TAC and/or MPA is intuitively conceivable. Accordingly, we sought to analyze the influence of different SNPs on TAC and MPA exposure in pediatric renal transplant recipients.

Corticosteroid-free Kidney Transplantation Improves Growth: 2-Year Follow-up of the TWIST Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Corticosteroid withdrawal (CW) after pediatric kidney transplantation potentially improves growth while avoiding metabolic and other adverse events. We have recently reported the results of a 196 subject randomized controlled trial comparing early CW (tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), daclizumab, and corticosteroids until day 4) with tacrolimus, MMF, and corticosteroid continuation (CC). At 6 months, CW subjects showed better growth with no adverse impact on acute rejection or graft survival (Am J Transplant 2010; 10: 828-836).

Conversion to tacrolimus once-daily from ciclosporin in stable kidney transplant recipients: a multicenter study.

This 24-week, open, single-arm, prospective, multicenter study evaluated the effects of conversion from ciclosporin to Tacrolimus QD in adult kidney transplant patients. Stable patients receiving ciclosporin were converted to Tacrolimus QD at 0.1mg/kg/day.

Significance and imaging of lumbar veins and early-branching arteries in planning living-donor laparoscopic nephrectomy: two case reports from 21 months' experience.

A key aspect in planning laparoscopic living-donor nephrectomy is mapping of vascular variations. Lumbar veins and early-branching renal arteries are of utmost importance. To date, 43 candidates including 18 men and 25 women aged 25 to 67 years have been examined at our clinic using 16-section multidetector-row computed tomography angiography.

Small difference in international normalized ratio may yield a significant impact on prioritizing patients listed for liver transplantation.

Priority for liver transplantation is currently based on the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The aim of our study was to assess in detail the contribution of international normalized ratio (INR) differences for MELD scores because of interlaboratory variability. The samples from 92 cirrhotic patients were measured on different systems combining three coagulometers and three thromboplastin products to determine variations in INR and MELD score.