Improvement of acute and chronic renal dysfunction in liver transplant patients after substitution of calcineurin inhibitors by mycophenolate mofetil.

TY - JOUR

T1 - Improvement of acute and chronic renal dysfunction in liver transplant patients after substitution of calcineurin inhibitors by mycophenolate mofetil.

AU - Barkmann, A

AU - Nashan, Björn

AU - Schmidt, H H

AU - Böker, K H

AU - Emmanouilidis, N

AU - Rosenau, J

AU - Bahr, M J

AU - Hoffmann, M W

AU - Manns, M P

AU - Klempnauer, J

AU - Schlitt, H J

PY - 2000

Y1 - 2000

N2 - BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction caused by treatment with the calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) is a major problem in the long-term course after liver transplantation. PATIENTS: In 22 liver graft recipients with renal dysfunction and stable graft function between 3 weeks and 12 years after transplantation, CNI were substituted by MMF at a final dose of 1.5-3 g/day between October 1996 and October 1998. METHODS: In a prospective non-randomized study, the development of renal function, the side effects of MMF medication, and the stability of liver function were analyzed for a mean follow-up of 15 months. Results. (1) MMF was withdrawn in four patients for major side effects between 1 and 7 months after study entry; eight patients had minor side effects. (2) Six months after study entry, renal function had improved in 17 of the 22 study patients; mean serum creatinine +/-SD (micromol/L) was 201+/-77 at entry and 153+/-65 after 3 months (P or =12 months and in 6 of 6 patients with creatinine elevation <or =6 months. (4) One patient developed transient liver dysfunction and a second required retransplantation for progressive cholestasis but without signs of rejection. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who undergo liver transplantation, substitution of CNI by MMF leads to improvement of acute as well as chronic renal dysfunction in most cases. Side effects of MMF may be limiting in some patients, and the immunological consequences remain to be studied.

AB - BACKGROUND: Renal dysfunction caused by treatment with the calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) is a major problem in the long-term course after liver transplantation. PATIENTS: In 22 liver graft recipients with renal dysfunction and stable graft function between 3 weeks and 12 years after transplantation, CNI were substituted by MMF at a final dose of 1.5-3 g/day between October 1996 and October 1998. METHODS: In a prospective non-randomized study, the development of renal function, the side effects of MMF medication, and the stability of liver function were analyzed for a mean follow-up of 15 months. Results. (1) MMF was withdrawn in four patients for major side effects between 1 and 7 months after study entry; eight patients had minor side effects. (2) Six months after study entry, renal function had improved in 17 of the 22 study patients; mean serum creatinine +/-SD (micromol/L) was 201+/-77 at entry and 153+/-65 after 3 months (P or =12 months and in 6 of 6 patients with creatinine elevation <or =6 months. (4) One patient developed transient liver dysfunction and a second required retransplantation for progressive cholestasis but without signs of rejection. CONCLUSIONS: In patients who undergo liver transplantation, substitution of CNI by MMF leads to improvement of acute as well as chronic renal dysfunction in most cases. Side effects of MMF may be limiting in some patients, and the immunological consequences remain to be studied.

M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz

VL - 69

SP - 1886

EP - 1890

JO - TRANSPLANTATION

JF - TRANSPLANTATION

SN - 0041-1337

IS - 9

M1 - 9

ER -