title: Long-term survival of an extremity composite tissue allograft with FK506-mycophenolate mofetil therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-dose tacrolimus (FK506) monotherapy has significantly prolonged rat hindlimb allograft survival. With an eye toward direct clinical application, we used a large-animal extremity composite tissue allograft model to assess the antirejection efficacy and systemic toxicity of combination FK506-mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Radial forelimb osteomyocutaneous flap transplants were performed between size-matched outbred pigs assigned to one of two groups: 5 control pigs received no immunosuppression and 9 animals received a once-daily oral FK506-MMF-prednisone regimen. Rejection was assessed by visual inspection of flap skin and was correlated with serial histopathologic examination of skin biopsy specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all control pigs the flap was completely rejected on day 7. Of the 9 pigs receiving treatment, 3 died from pneumonia on days 29, 30, and 83 without signs of rejection and another died from gastric rupture on day 42 with persistent mild rejection. The remaining 5 animals were free of rejection at the end of the 90-day follow-up period (P < 0.005 vs controls). Overall, 5 pigs had pneumonia, 4 septic arthritis, 3 toe abscesses, and 5 diarrhea and decreased weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination oral FK506-MMF treatment provided a superior antirejection effect but more produced more toxicity than that previously demonstrated with cyclosporin A-MMF therapy in our model. Our results suggest that reduction of FK506 or MMF doses might decrease both infectious and drug-specific side effects while still providing adequate prophylaxis against rejection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY 40292, USA.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Ustüner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zdichavsky
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Edelstein
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maldonado
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Jevans
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Breidenbach
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Barker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005552:Forelimb; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000187:drug effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D013552:Swine; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D016559:Tacrolimus