Effect of rapamycin on cytokine profile in kidney transplant recipients treated with triple drug therapy.
The aim of this study was to explore differences in the cytokine profile among de novo kidney transplant recipients treated with either Rapamycin (Rapa) + cyclosporine (CsA) + prednisone (P) or CsA + azathioprine (Aza) + P.


METHODS
Among the 13 adult kidney transplant recipients studied, seven received Rapa + CsA + P while the remaining six received CsA + Aza + P with their living donors serving as controls (n = 13). Spontaneous production of IL-2, IFNgamma, IL-10, and TGF-beta were measured by ELISA in supernatants from 24-hour cultured unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) at time zero (the day before the transplant), and at 3 and 6 months posttransplant. Cytokines were also measured 1 month after CsA withdrawal in the Rapa + CsA + P group.


RESULTS
From time zero to the end of the study, IL-2, IFNgamma, and IL-10 were present at low or undetectable levels in all three groups. TGF-beta tended to increase in supernatants from patients under Rapa + CsA + P at 6 months posttransplant and at 1 month after CsA withdrawal without correlation to Rapa blood levels. TGF-beta remained stable throughout the study period for patients included in the CsA + Aza + P group. There was no difference in this cytokine level between these study groups at any given time.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed no differences in the spontaneous cytokine profiles evaluated in patients treated with both therapeutic schemes.
Morales-Buenrostro
L E
LE
Departments of Nephrology and Mineral Metabolism, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico.
Llorente
L
L
Richaud-Patin
Y
Y
de Leo
C
C
Soto-Vega
E
E
Díaz-Alderete
A
A
Vázquez-Lavista
L G
LG
Coto
S
S
Correa-Rotter
R
R
Alberú
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D016572:Cyclosporine; D001379:Azathioprine; D011241:Prednisone; D020123:Sirolimus