Effective and Safe Reduction of Conventional Immunosuppressants Using Everolimus in Maintenance Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

BackgroundAdverse events due to conventional immunosuppressive therapy decrease both graft and patient survival. We aimed to establish a new protocol using everolimus (EVR) to safely minimize conventional immunosuppressants in maintenance kidney transplant recipients. MethodsA total of 86 consecutive kidney transplant recipients with no complications were maintained with triple-drug combination therapy (conventional group). In case of complications, the administration of very low-dose tacrolimus (C0: 5.0 to <3.0 ng/mL), reduced mycophenolate mofetil (1000–1500 to 500–1000 mg), and EVR (C0: 3.0–5.0 ng/mL) and methylprednisolone withdrawal (2–4 to 0 mg) were simultaneously conducted (EVR group). Graft survival and acute rejection rate were compared between groups. Within the EVR group, the dose of conventional immunosuppressants was compared between pre- and post-EVR administration. Renal function was evaluated 1 year post-EVR administration. ResultsAll grafts survived in the conventional (n = 50) and EVR (n = 36) groups, and biopsy-proven acute rejection rate exhibited no significant difference between these groups (12% vs 17%; P = .55). Furthermore, no acute rejection occurred post-EVR administration. In the EVR group, all immunosuppressants significantly decreased post-EVR administration compared with those pre-EVR administration (P < .01), and serum creatinine significantly improved at postoperative year 1 (P = .031). ConclusionsEVR administration enables very low-dose tacrolimus administration, helps reduce mycophenolate mofetil and steroid withdrawal, and ameliorates renal function in maintenance kidney transplant recipients experiencing complications associated with conventional immunosuppressive therapy.