title: Long term efficacy of simvastatin in renal transplant recipients treated with cyclosporine or tacrolimus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperlipidemia is frequently developed following renal transplantation and results in worsening of the patient's prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, 14 patients who had hypercholesterolemia [total cholesterol (TC) >200 mg/dL] and hypertriglyceridemia [triglyceride (TG) >150 mg/dL] 1 month after renal transplantation (post-transplantation), seven patients each under the treatment with immunosuppressant, either cyclosporine or tacrolimus started simvastatin treatment of 5-10 mg/d and continued the treatment for 4 yr. The effect of simvastatin treatment was assessed by comparison in serum lipid levels (TC, TG, cholesterol in lipoprotein fractions, and apolipoproteins) and the lipid metabolism related enzyme activities for post-transplantation, after 6-month and 4-yr simvastatin treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Simvastatin treatment of 4 yr significantly decreased the elevated levels of serum TC from 234.5 +/- 30.8 to 186.3 +/- 20.5 mg/dL (p < 0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) from 116.7 +/- 22.5 to 82.7 +/- 16.6 mg/dL (p < 0.05) and TG from 200.3 +/- 109.2 to 97.0 +/- 45.2 mg/dL (p < 0.001). In addition, there were significant decreases in elevated serum very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) from 47.8 +/- 18.4 to 28.6 +/- 9.5 mg/dL (p < 0.001) and LDL2 cholesterol (LDL2-C) from 20.8 +/- 8.2 to 5.7 +/- 1.8 mg/dL (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that 4-yr treatment of simvastatin improves profiles of the atherogenic lipids in renal transplant patients with immunosuppressant caused hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia treated either cyclosporine or tacrolimus in similar manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Naotsugu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichimaru
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriyama
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yukiomi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Namba
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nonomura
authors.forename: Kiyomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumiya
authors.forename: Kiyohide
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toki
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahara
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okuyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D008055:Lipids; D016572:Cyclosporine; D019821:Simvastatin; D016559:Tacrolimus