The impact of sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine, azathioprine, and steroids on wound healing in 513 kidney-transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to determine whether there has been an increase in the incidence or severity of wound-healing complications that can be attributed to the introduction of newer immunosuppressive drugs.


METHODS
Consecutive series of adult kidney-only transplant recipients were selected from our Unified Transplant Database backward from September 2002. There were 513 patients divided into groups on the basis of their maintenance immunosuppression given for at least the first 30 days posttransplant. Group I (152) was given sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone (SRL/MMF/P) between March 2000 and September 2002; group II (168) was given cyclosporine A (CsA)/MMF/P between January 1999 and July 2002; and group III (193) was given azathioprine (AzA)/CsA/P between January 1993 and December 1997. A classification system for wound-healing problems was developed, and each of the three groups was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analysis.


RESULTS
From groups III to II to I, there was a significant increase in mean age (42.4 vs. 49 years), percent of patients diabetic (17% vs. 29%), mean body mass index (BMI) (24.2 vs. 27.1 kg/m2), and percent BMI greater than 30 (13.5% vs. 27%). The cumulative percentage of all wound-healing problems between group I (19.7%) vs. group II (16.1%) and group III (15.6%) was not significantly different. The most significant risk factor was a recipient BMI greater than 30 (P=0.0012) and delayed graft function (P=0.0041).


CONCLUSIONS
During a 10-year period marked by changing recipient demographics, the introduction of MMF and SRL did not result in a significant increase in transplant wound-healing complications. The most significant risk factor associated with transplant wound-healing complications remains body weight, which was the major influence for each of the immunosuppressive drug combinations described.
Flechner
Stuart M
SM
Section of Renal Transplantation, Transplant Center/Glickman Urological Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. flechns@ccf.org
Zhou
Lingmei
L
Derweesh
Ithaar
I
Mastroianni
Barbara
B
Savas
Kathy
K
Goldfarb
David
D
Modlin
Charles S
CS
Krishnamurthi
Venkatesh
V
Novick
Andrew
A
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D001379:Azathioprine; D020123:Sirolimus