Journal
CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION
Volume 23, Issue 3, Pages 415-419Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2008.00934.x
Keywords
heart transplantation; immunosuppression; tacrolimus
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Due to concerns over the side effects of cyclosporine, tacrolimus is widely used in pediatric heart transplantation. However, tacrolimus therapy is also accompanied by potentially serious side effects. This paper examines the side effect profile of tacrolimus in a large group of pediatric heart recipients. Data on renal function, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension were collected by case-note review of 100 patients who had received >= 12 months treatment with tacrolimus. Forty-two patients received tacrolimus from the time of transplant (de novo), and 58 were initially treated with cyclosporine (switch). Mean estimated glomerular filtration rate improved in the first six months post transplant in the de novo group (66.7-84.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2), p = 0.002). Conversely, it decreased in those initially treated with cyclosporine (82.1-68.8, p = 0.032), but improved after switch to tacrolimus (77.3-85.6, p = 0.006). Twenty-one percent exhibited glucose intolerance, and 2% had diabetes. Borderline or elevated fasting cholesterol levels were present in 4.4%. Hypertension was seen in 67% at the point of switch from cyclosporine, which fell to 36% at latest follow-up (p = 0.001). These results present an encouraging outlook for this cohort of patients. The relatively low levels of complications shown may be due to early weaning of steroids, and concomitant statin therapy.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available