Tacrolimus and low-dose steroid immunosuppression preserves bone mass after renal transplantation.

Bone loss, a recognized complication of renal transplantation (TP), is mainly attributed to steroids. The effect of other immunosuppressive agents on patients' bone mass is difficult to distinguish from that of steroids. In this study, we evaluate the evolution of bone mass density over the first 12 months following renal TP in two groups of patients given either low-dose steroids with tacrolimus ( n=7) or normal-dose steroids and cyclosporine ( n=19).