NDT Advance Access originally published online on June 20, 2008
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 2008 23(11):3727-3729; doi:10.1093/ndt/gfn332
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Conversion to sirolimus for chronic renal allograft dysfunction: risk factors for graft loss and severe side effects
1 Service de Néphrologie, Hopital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgique 2 Service de Néphrologie, Hopital Calmette, Lille, France
Correspondence and offprint requests to: Daniel Abramowicz, Nephrology Department, Hopital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. Tel: +32-2-555-33-34; Fax: +32-2-555-64-99; E-mail: dabram{at}ulb.ac.be
| Abstract |
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We retrospectively reviewed our experience with 45 kidney transplant recipients (KTR) that were switched from CNI to SRL, mainly for chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) (41/45). The mean serum creatinine at switch was 2.5 ± 0.8 mg/dl. At 1 year, patient survival was 93%. Death-censored graft survival was 67% at 1 year and 54% at 2 years. SRL was stopped because of severe side effects in 15 patients. Among these, eight patients developed de novo high-grade proteinuria. Univariate analysis revealed that (1) a higher SRL level at 1 month was a predictor of SRL withdrawal due to severe side effects (P = 0.006), and (2) predictors of graft failure after SRL conversion were low SRL loading dose (P = 0.03) and a higher creatinine level at conversion (P = 0.003).
In conclusion, the therapeutic index of SRL in patients suffering from CAD is narrow, with high exposure triggering serious adverse events that may mandate SRL discontinuation, while too low exposure may expose patients to under-immunosuppression and graft loss.
Keywords: graft survival; proteinuria; renal transplantation; sirolimus; toxicity
Received for publication: 30. 7.07
Accepted in revised form: 21. 5.08