title: Sirolimus as primary immunosuppression agent in kidney transplant recipients: Akdeniz University experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently usage of sirolimus as the primary immunosuppressant is widening among kidney transplant recipients. We reviewed the clinical follow-up of patients transplanted at our center using sirolimus protocols.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sirolimus including primary immunosuppressive treatment protocols were begun in February 2002. Among the 21 patients (15 men, six women) who received sirolimus, six patients were prescribed sirolimus + prednisolone; seven, sirolimus + mycophenolate mofetil + prednisolone; and eight, sirolimus + cyclosporine + prednisolone. The mean age of the patients was 32.9 +/- 7.3 years and the mean posttransplantation follow-up, 13.2 +/- 4.5 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three patients experienced acute rejection episodes, which were treated successfully with steroids. None of the patients had either hematologic or wound healing problems. Lymphoceles developed in eight patients. Serum creatinine level was 1.4 +/- 0.5 mg/dL at 12 months. There was a serious increase in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels starting from the first month posttransplant (total cholesterol levels pretransplant and at 1 month, respectively: 159.3 +/- 29.5 and 255.7 +/- 52.3 mg/dL, P = .0001; triglycerides pretransplant and at 1 month, respectively: 146.9 +/- 89.5 and 215.1 +/- 102.5 mg/dL, P = .001). Despite routine antihyperlipemic treatment those high levels were maintained for 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We achieved 100% graft and patient survival rates for 1 year among patients who were using sirolimus. But the most important role in defining the morbidity and mortality in this group of patients is cardiovascular events; for this reason the abnormalities in the lipid profile must be taken seriously.
authors.affiliation: Akdeniz University Organ Transplantation Center, Antalya, Turkey.
authors.forename: G U
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Karatas
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Yakupoglu
authors.forename: Y K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Yakupoglu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kocak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yavuz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dinckan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuncer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demirbas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yakupoglu
authors.forename: F F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Ersoy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gurkan
mesh_terms: D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D011239:Prednisolone; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D020123:Sirolimus