title: Immunosuppression in pediatric liver transplantation: are little people different?
abstract: 1. Children differ from adults in the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of most immunosuppressive agents. 2. A lack of clinical trials continues to be an issue for newer agents. 3. On the basis of clinical case series, mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus are increasingly being used as renal-sparing agents. 4. In comparison with adults, the recurrence of both viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma is less of an issue in children. 5. Particular attention should be paid to complete age-appropriate immunization to avoid vaccine-preventable diseases. 6. Paying special attention to adherence and the transition to adult services is essential for minimizing graft loss.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric Liver, GI, and Nutrition Centre, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom. anil.dhawan@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhawan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D010372:Pediatrics
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents