title: Open prospective multicenter study of conversion to tacrolimus therapy in renal transplant patients experiencing ciclosporin-related side-effects.
abstract: The hyperlipidemic and hypertensive effects of ciclosporin constitute a cardiovascular risk. Cosmetic side-effects are known to reduce patients' quality of life. This was a 6-month, open, prospective, multicentre study in 296 adult kidney transplant patients to evaluate the conversion from ciclosporin to a tacrolimus-based regimen. Primary indications for conversion were hyperlipidemia (n =77), hypertension (n = 72), hypertrichosis (n = 32) and gingival hyperplasia (n = 115). At month 6, hyperlipidemia and hypertension were at least moderately improved in 59.1% and 63.5% of patients, and strongly or completely resolved in 29% and 25%. Gingival hyperplasia and hypertrichosis were strongly or completely resolved in 73% and 72% of patients. Mean total cholesterol was reduced from 255 to 218 mg/dl. Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced from 152.9 to 137.5 mmHg and mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from 90.7 to 85.8 mmHg. Ciclosporin-related side-effects resolved or improved after conversion to tacrolimus.
authors.affiliation: Landeskrankenhaus Innsbruck, Transplantation, Anichstr, Innsbruck, Austria. raimund.margreiter@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margreiter
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pohanka
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sparacino
authors.forename: Heide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sperschneider
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kunzendorf
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lameire
authors.forename: Vittorio E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Andreucci
authors.forename: Donato
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Heemann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005885:Gingival Hyperplasia / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000139:chemically induced; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced; D006983:Hypertrichosis / Q000139:chemically induced; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019233:Retreatment; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D016559:Tacrolimus