title: Excessive immunosuppression in kidney transplant patients: prevalence and outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Death with a functioning graft is currently one of the main causes of kidney graft loss. A large proportion of cases is attributed to infectious complications that can be related to overimmunosuppression. We retrospectively studied 80 kidney transplant patients, grafted from January 2005 to December 2009, to assess the prevalence of excessive immunosuppression, and its possible correlation with infections and infection-related death.
  
  
  METHODS
  Excessive immunosuppression was defined by a prescribed dosage above the expected to the time point or an elevated drug blood level according to the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (2009) recommendations at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months, and then annually.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Death with a functioning graft accounted for 76.5% of losses. Overall, 53.8% of deaths were from infections, and 38.5% from cardiovascular causes. Acute rejection episodes were noted in 8.8% of patients. Only 10% of patients had adequate immunosuppression throughout the follow-up. Seventy-two percent of patients showed adequate immunosuppression at least half of the 18 evaluated points, although 50% showed between 1 and 3 drugs administered above recommended dosages during the whole period. Infections were recorded in 78.8% patients, with a median of 3 episodes per patient. Any level of excessive immunosuppression was associated with infections (odds ratio, 11.2; P < .001), but not with death caused thereby.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Excessive immunosuppression among this cohort was associated with a greater incidence of infections, but not with death from this cause.
authors.affiliation: Renal Transplantation Unit, Division of Nephrology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. helady.sanders@ufjf.edu.br
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sanders-Pinheiro
authors.forename: S T C
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: da Silveira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carminatti
authors.forename: L S S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: E O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Marsicano
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.forename: L F C D
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: G F F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: E J C
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Magacho
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colugnati
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bastos
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000097:blood; D015994:Incidence; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents