title: Good metabolic control using tacrolimus-based immunosuppressants in primary cadaveric renal transplantation in Chinese--a preliminary report.
abstract: Metabolic complications are common with tacrolimus therapy. Recent evidence suggests that there is ethnical variability in the side-effect profile of tacrolimus. We performed an open-label study to examine the metabolic profile of tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive therapy in 10 consecutive adult Chinese patients after cadaveric renal transplantation. One case withdrew because of parvovirus infection. The mean age of the remaining nine cases was 33 +/- 2.9 yr. Mean tacrolimus whole blood trough level at 0 and 12 months were 11.4 +/- 1.8 and 7.0 +/- 0.7 ng/mL, respectively. The dosage at corresponding time points were 0.31 +/- 0.001 and 0.10 +/- 0.003 mg/kg, respectively. We found no difference in lipid profile, blood pressure control, and most importantly, fasting glucose level, before and I yr after tacrolimus therapy. Standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and whole blood HbAlc level were normal in all patients. Our preliminary data suggest good short-term safety among Chinese renal transplantation recipients after tacrolimus-based immunosuppressants, with a very low incidence of hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia. The long-term implications and the underlying explanation for this ethnical difference require further investigations.
authors: Department of Med cine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, SAR.
authors: Kai Ming
authors: KM
authors: Chow
authors: Cheuk Chun
authors: CC
authors: Szeto
authors: Philip Kam-Tao
authors: PK
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000517:prevention & control; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008055:Lipids; D016559:Tacrolimus