title: Long-term follow-up of co-administration of diltiazem and cyclosporine in Chinese kidney transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Co-administration of diltiazem and cyclosporine A (CsA) in kidney transplant recipients shows improvement of renal transplantation outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We respectively analyzed 1531 kidney transplant recipients treated by different immunosuppressive therapy schemes from 1986 to 2003. They were divided into three groups depending on their immunosuppressive therapy schemes: control group with a standard triple therapy without use of diltiazem; study group I with the combination of diltiazem and the standard triple therapy but slightly low CsA; study group II with combination of diltiazem and a modified standard triple therapy but lower CsA. The CsA blood concentrations, posttransplant complications, and long-term survival in the three groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the patient and allograft survival in the study group II was 69.9 and 65.1%, respectively, significantly higher than that in the control group (50.7 and 47.6%). Occurrence of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity episodes was higher in the control group than those in the study group I and the study group II. The incidence of acute rejection in the control group was 30.3% (23/76), similar to 28.0% (184/657) in study group I, but statistically significantly higher than 7.6% (61/798) in the study group II.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Combination of diltiazem and CsA in the kidney allograft recipients tends to reduce the CsA oral dosage, improve patient survival, and decrease the occurrence of hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity.
authors.affiliation: Kidney Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. xw5886@pub.xaonline.com
authors.forename: Wujun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Puxun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Xinshun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Heli
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004110:Diltiazem / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D004110:Diltiazem