title: A longitudinal study of TGF-beta1 protein levels in renal allograft recipients converted from CsA to MMF or AZA.
abstract: Cyclosporine (CsA) is thought to enhance transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 production in vitro and in vivo and this may have a negative effect on long-term graft survival. Therefore, we studied TGF-beta1, plasma levels in 30 patients before kidney transplantation, after transplantation during CsA treatment and after conversion from CsA to azathioprine (AZA) or mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). We questioned whether TGF-beta1 plasma levels would decrease after the discontinuation of CsA and whether the TGF-beta1 plasma levels did correlate with CsA trough levels and kidney function, measured by serum creatinine levels. TGF-beta1 plasma levels measured 1 yr after transplantation were lower compared to levels measured before transplantation, however not significantly (p = 0.08). After conversion from CsA to MMF or AZA, a slight increase was observed in some patients, but in the total group TGF-beta1 levels remained unaffected. No correlation was found between the TGF-beta1 levels and CsA trough levels nor with creatinine levels. In conclusion, we did not observe higher TGF-beta1 plasma levels in plasma levels of patients receiving CsA treatment compared to blood from the same patients while on AZA or MMF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vandermast@inw1.azr.nl
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van der Mast
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: van Besouw
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Kuiper
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Vaessen
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: IJzermans
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Gelder
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weimar
mesh_terms: D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood* / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016572:Cyclosporine; D003404:Creatinine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D001379:Azathioprine