title: A retrospective analysis of dermatological lesions in kidney transplant patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Kidney transplantation is the best option for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) failure. Prolonged use of immunosuppressive drugs often causes opportunistic infections and malignancies of skin and mucosae, but due to lack of a careful dermatological screening in several transplantation centers the diagnosis and the treatment of dermatological lesions in kidney transplant patients are underestimated. In addition after the introduction of interleukin (IL)-2 -receptor antagonists (basiliximab/daclizumab), mTOR inhibitors and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)/mycophenolic acid (MPA) in new immunosuppressive protocols only a few studies have analyzed the skin and mucosal lesions in kidney transplant patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate the cutaneous and mucosal diseases after kidney transplantation, and to investigate the association between these and different immunosuppressive protocols and/or demographic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was done using medical records of kidney transplantation between 2000 and 2009 at the Transplant Unit of Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. The study included 183 patients (M 57.3%, F 42.7%) aged 51.5 ± 11.8 yr) with transplant age 52.3 ± 34.9 months. Induction therapy was basiliximab and steroids based; maintenance therapy included combination-regimes from cyclosporine, tacrolimus, steroids, mycophenolate mofetil (MM), mycophenolic acid (MPA), rapamycin, everolimus. Anti-rejection therapy was steroid and/or thymoglobulines based. Diagnosis of cutaneous disease was made through examination of skin, mucous membranes, nails and hair evaluation. Skin biopsies, specific cultures and serological tests were done when required.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Skin and mucosal diseases were reported in 173 (95.7%) of patients; 88 (50.81%) showed viral lesions; 92 (53.01%) immunosuppression-related lesions; 28 (16.39%) benign tumours; 26 (15.3%) precancers /neoplastic lesions; 24 (14.21%) mycosis; 16 (9.29%) cutaneous xerosis, 15 (8.74%) dermatitis, while absence of cutaneous disease was evident only in 8 (4.37%) cases. An association between drug side effects and anti-rejection treatment ( P ≤ 0.01) and/or calcineurin-inhibitors (CNI) exposure ( P ≤ 0.01) was found. Longer exposure to immunosuppressive drugs (>60 months) was associated with pre-malignancy and malignancy lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cutaneous diseases are frequent in kidney transplanted patients. Continuous skin monitoring is necessary to make an early diagnosis and to start appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Unit, University and Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy. michelacastello@gmail.com
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castello
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gregorini
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rampino
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bosio
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bedino
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piotti
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soccio
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klersy
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abelli
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borroni
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dal Canton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077552:Basiliximab; D000077561:Daclizumab; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000009:adverse effects; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009181:Mycoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000150:complications*; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000077552:Basiliximab; D000077561:Daclizumab; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid