title: Cardiac function after orthotopic liver transplantation and the effects of immunosuppression: a prospective randomized trial comparing cyclosporin (Neoral) and tacrolimus.
abstract: There are several case reports in the literature that describe cardiac complications in the first few weeks after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in patients receiving tacrolimus as their primary immunosuppressive therapy. In this study, we investigated the cardiac function of patients on tacrolimus (T) compared with those on cyclosporin (C) (Neoral; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) immunosuppression, after OLT, in a prospective randomized trial. We randomized 40 adult patients with cirrhosis to either T or C with azathioprine and prednisolone immunosuppression and followed up on them for 3 months after OLT. All had detailed clinical, biochemical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic assessments at regular intervals. Abnormalities in cardiac function were common after OLT and significant deterioration in left ventricular diastolic function was demonstrable up to 3 months in both patient groups. Cardiac function was similar in the T and C arms and no significant electrocardiographic differences were observed, although reduced heart rate variability (HRV) and higher mean serum brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were identified in the T group. The percentage increase in posterior wall thickness was higher in the T group. Cardiac dysfunction as shown by worsening echocardiographic measures of left ventricular diastolic function and by clinical cardiac events is common in the first 3 months after OLT in patients with cirrhosis. HRV and BNP values in the T group were worse than in the C group, but this was not translated to an increase in cardiac clinical events in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. gtherapondos@ed.ac.uk
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Therapondos
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Flapan
authors.forename: Matthias M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dollinger
authors.forename: O James
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Garden
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Plevris
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003971:Diastole; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013599:Systole; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine; D016559:Tacrolimus