title: Low rejection rates with tacrolimus-based dual and triple regimens following liver transplantation.
abstract: We studied the outcome of 345 liver transplant patients who received tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy either as a dual regimen (with corticosteroids, n=172) or as a triple regimen (with corticosteroids and azathioprine, n=173) for 3 months after transplantation (3-month cohort). A further analysis was conducted for the first 195 patients randomised (dual n=100, triple n=95) who were followed up for 12 months after transplantation (12-month cohort). For the 3-month cohort, patient survival was 90.7% (dual) and 91.9% (triple), graft survival after 3 months was 88.4% (dual therapy) and 89.6% (triple therapy). Acute rejections were experienced by 67/172, 39.0% of patients on dual therapy and by 60/173, 34.7% of patients on triple therapy; corticosteroid-resistant rejections were reported in 9 patients (5.2%) in either treatment group. The overall safety profile was similar for the two treatment groups. Significant differences, however, were found for thrombocytopenia (dual 13/172, 7.6%, triple 37/173, 21.4%, p<0.001) and leukopenia (dual 4/172, 2.3%, triple 24/173, 13.9%, p<0.001). For the 12-month cohort, patient survival was 85.6% (dual) and 88.4% (triple) after 1 year. Graft survival was 81.7% (dual) and 85.2% (triple) 12 months after transplantation. Acute rejections were reported for 38/100, 38.0% of patients on dual therapy and 36/95, 37.9% of patients on triple therapy, corticosteroid-resistant rejections were 7/100, 7.0% (dual) and 7/95, 7.4% (triple) of patients. In the 12-month cohort, no significant differences in the safety profiles of the treatment groups were found. We conclude that both tacrolimus-based dual and triple drug regimens provide effective and safe immunosuppression following orthotopic liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, Hôpital Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France. boillot@univ-lyon1.fr
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Boillot
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baulieux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Messner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cherqui
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gugenheim
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pageaux
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belghiti
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Calmus
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Treut
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neau-Cransac
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Samuel
mesh_terms: D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008775:Methylprednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D001379:Azathioprine; D016559:Tacrolimus; D008775:Methylprednisolone