Incidence of new-onset hypercholesterolemia in renal transplant patients treated with FK506 or cyclosporine.

In this study, we compare cholesterol levels during the first year after renal transplantation in FK506 (Prograf)- and cyclosporine-treated patients matched for cumulative first-year steroid dose and hypercholesterolemia risk factors. All patients had pretransplant cholesterol levels < 200 mg/dl. At 3 months posttransplant, 68% of the cyclosporine-treated patients had at least one cholesterol level greater than 200 mg/dl compared with 30% of the FK506-treated patients (P < 0.

Risks of transplanting kidneys from hepatitis B surface antigen-negative, hepatitis B core antibody-positive donors.

Background: As the number of patients on the United States kidney transplant list increases, investigation into the utility of transplanting organs formerly considered marginal or undesirable has intensified. Using kidneys from hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive donors is thought to place recipients at excessive risk of graft failure, morbidity, and mortality. However, the risks of using kidneys from HBsAg-negative but hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb)-positive donors have not been defined.

Outcome of en bloc and single kidney transplantation from very young cadaveric donors.

Background: The optimal use of very young cadaveric kidneys (from donors less than 4 years old) remains controversial. High rates of technical complications and poor functional results compared with adult donor kidneys have been reported. The use of en bloc transplantation to overcome these problems has been advocated, although en bloc transplantation halves the number of potential transplants from very young donors.