Tacrolimus: review of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenetics to facilitate practitioners' understanding and offer strategies for educating patients and promoting adherence.

Kidney transplantation requires lifelong immunosuppression with agents that prevent allograft rejection. Immunosuppressive regimens typically include a steroid, an immune modulator (eg, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil, or mycophenolate sodium), and a calcineurin inhibitor, either cyclosporine or tacrolimus. Tacrolimus is metabolized by cytochrome P450 3A4 in both the liver and small intestine.

One hundred consecutive living kidney donors: modern issues and outcomes.

In order to define current issues and outcomes of living kidney donation, 100 consecutive living donors operated on between July 1996 and March 2001 were evaluated. The 64 women and 36 men ranged in age from 19 to 72 yr (mean 42.5 yr), and 65 were related to the recipient while 35 were unrelated donors.

Education, pay, and job status: a national survey of transplant coordinators.

To identify education, pay, and job responsibilities, an informal 19-item survey was sent to 1661 transplant coordinators; 424 (26%) were returned. Respondents worked in all phases of transplantation. Education levels varied widely; most respondents had some formal nursing education.