title: Randomized comparative trial of mizoribine versus mycophenolate mofetil in combination with tacrolimus for living donor renal transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mizoribine (MZR) was approved in 1984 in Japan for the suppression of rejection in renal transplantation with an approved administration dosage of 1-3 mg/kg/day. The action of MZR resembles that of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), but MZR dosing is markedly lower than that of MMF. To examine whether higher dosing of MZR could obtain efficacy similar to MMF in renal transplantation, we conducted a comparative study of MZR and MMF using a high daily dose of MZR.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, randomized comparative study of MZR versus MMF using tacrolimus (FK) and steroids as the base was conducted in 35 patients who had undergone living-donor renal transplantation (ABO-incompatible patients were not included) at 8 institutions in Japan between July 2005 and June 2007. Starting doses were 12 mg/kg/day for MZR and 2 g/day for MMF. Dosages of FK and steroids were set according to the protocol of each institution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient and graft survival rate at 1 year after transplantation was 100 % in each group, with no significant difference in rejection rate apparent between groups. Adverse events found in both groups were characteristic, frequently involving infection and digestive organ disorder in the MMF group and elevated uric acid levels in the MZR group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on these results, MZR and MMF are considered almost equivalent in terms of efficacy and safety.
authors: Department of Advanced Technology for Transplantation, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan, takahara@att.med.osaka-u.ac.jp.
authors: Shiro
authors: S
authors: Takahara
authors: Kota
authors: K
authors: Takahashi
authors: Takahiro
authors: T
authors: Akiyama
authors: Kazuharu
authors: K
authors: Uchida
authors: Kazunari
authors: K
authors: Tanabe
authors: Noritoshi
authors: N
authors: Amada
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Toma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012263:Ribonucleosides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D012263:Ribonucleosides; D014527:Uric Acid; C010052:mizoribine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D016559:Tacrolimus