Cyclosporine Blood Levels Research Articles

Medical Management of Canine Chronic Ulcerative Stomatitis Using Cyclosporine and Metronidazole.

Canine chronic ulcerative stomatitis (CCUS) is a spontaneously occurring, painful, and often debilitating condition of the oral cavity, with a suspected immune-mediated component. The response to pharmacological treatment is generally poor, thus the need to identify more effective medical therapies for this condition. This article describes a prospective clinical trial that was designed to evaluate the efficiency of a combination of cyclosporine and metronidazole in managing CCUS. The hypothesis was that a combination of cyclosporine and metronidazole would effectively minimize clinical signs associated with CCUS. Ten client-owned dogs with a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis consistent with CCUS were prescribed cyclosporine (5 mg/kg) for 1 week, followed by the addition of metronidazole (15-20 mg/kg), both administered orally once daily. The cyclosporine dosage interval was lengthened over time. Dogs were observed for a 6-month period and evaluated using a 32-point Canine Ulcerative Stomatitis Disease Activity Index (CUSDAI). Regular cyclosporine therapeutic drug monitoring was also conducted by the measurement of whole blood cyclosporine levels and the pharmacodynamic assessment of the T-cell expression of IL-2. The results demonstrated that a combination of cyclosporine and metronidazole was effective in minimizing the clinical signs of CCUS and in reducing CUSDAI scores. Neither blood cyclosporine levels nor the T-cell expression of IL-2 predicted improvement in clinical signs and CUSDAI scores, although there was a correlation between blood drug concentrations and the suppression of T-cell IL-2 expression. The evaluation of clinical signs and CUSDAI scores appears to be the most effective means of assessing response to therapy, and therapeutic drug level monitoring does not appear to be routinely indicated.

Antifungal Choice during Intravenous to Oral Cyclosporine Switch Effects Bioavailability in Patients Who Underwent Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Introduction: Cyclosporine is a key drug during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the prevention of Graft-versus-Host disease with the potential for involvement in drug-drug interactions. We conducted this study to evaluate the effects of antifungals on cyclosporine blood levels and biavailability values. Material and Methods: Patients who had allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with normal kidney and liver function and no other drug-drug interactions that could affect cyclosporine blood levels were included in the study. Patients were categorized into moderate (fluconazole) and strong (voriconazole, posaconazole) CYP3A4 inhibitor antifungal users and non-azole (amphotericin B, caspofungin) users. We collected intravenous and oral cyclosporine blood concentrations and doses during cyclosporine administration route changes and evaluated the effects of them according to antifungal groups. Results: We included 94 patients. The moderate and strong CYP3A4 inhibitor user numbers were 54 and 22, respectively. 18 patients with non-azole antifungal prescriptions were included. ANOVA revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in blood corrected concentrations (p<0.0001). The mean oral dose to intravenous dose ratio was 1.44 and 1.53 for the strong and moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor groups, respectively. This ratio was 1.51 for non-azole antifungal users. The median cyclosporine concentrations were higher after switching to oral cyclosporine in three antifungal groups. The highest mean cyclosporine concentration was 378,45 ng/mL and was obtained from patients with strong CYP3A4 inhibitor antifungals. The lowest mean cyclosporine concentration was observed in patients who were prescribed non-azole antifungals, which was subtherapeutic at 165,95 ng/mL. Bioavailability values were 1.17, 0.97, and 0.9 for moderate inhibitor, strong inhibitor, and non-azole users, respectively. In our study, the general oral dose to intravenous dose ratio regardless of the antifungal choice was 1.50. Despite having the lowest dose ratio (1.44), the highest bioavailability (1.17) was achieved by strong CYP3A4 inhibitor users, and nine of them experienced supratherapeutic cyclosporine levels. After applying a 1.53 dose ratio, the highest mean dose ratio among groups, the number of patients with supratherapeutic cylosporine levels increased to twenty-two from six. Eight patients with non-azole antifungal prescriptions still experienced subtherapeutic cyclosporine blood levels after the initiation of a 1.51 mean dose ratio, which suggests non-azole users may need higher oral cyclosporine doses (Figure 1). Conclusion: Cyclosporine is a gold medicine during the allogeneic hematopoeitic stem cell trasnplantation process. Concomitant antifungal therapy affects cyclosporine blood levels during cyclosporine administration.Patients who are prescribed non-azole antifungals such as caspofungin and amphotericin B are at an increased risk of Graft-versus-Host disease due to the lack of therapeutic cyclosporine levels. Patients with azole antifungals may face cyclosporine toxicities during cyclosporine route change due to hepatic enzyme inhibitions. For patients with strong CYP3A4 inhibitor antifungals such as voriconazole and posaconazole, the oral dose to intravenous dose ratio should be adjusted carefully to avoid toxicity. Fluconazole, a moderate CYP3A4 inhibitor, causes a wide range of cyclosporine blood levels, which makes it hard to advise strict dose ratios. Because patient responses to enzyme inhibitors varied in our study, we advise taking precautions on an individual basis. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Diltiazem as a cyclosporine A-sparing agent in heart transplantation: Benefits beyond dose reduction.

Diltiazem (DZ) is widely prescribed in transplant recipients because of its drug-drug interactions with calcineurin inhibitors (CNI). However, these interactions have been primarily investigated in renal transplantation, and data regarding the long-term efficacy and safety of DZ in orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) are still sparse.Our study aimed to elucidate the extent to which the co-prescription of DZ reduces the dose required to maintain adequate blood levels of cyclosporine A (CsA) and the resulting effect on morbidity and mortality in OHT recipients.We performed a retrospective single-center analysis of OHT recipients on a long-term immunosuppressive regimen based on CsA and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF).The study population consisted of 95 adult OHT recipients with a mean follow-up of 15.8 ± 6.7 years. DZ was co-prescribed in 39 subjects (41.1%) and was associated with a 28.6% reduction of the mean CsA daily dose (P < .001). Patients on DZ had less frequent rejection episodes (P = .002), better renal function (P = .009) and a lower rate of end-stage renal disease (P = .008). Additionally, they developed later cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). We observed no prognostic relevance of DZ co-prescription in univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses.In addition to reducing the CsA dose required to maintain adequate blood through levels, DZ may have nephroprotective properties in OHT. The co-administration of DZ may decelerate the development of CAV and reduce the frequency of the rejection episodes. However, the beneficial influence on morbidity has no impact on mortality.

Association Between Blood and Lymphocyte Levels of Cyclosporin A and Infectious Complications in Renal Transplant Patients.

ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate a potential association between whole blood and lymphocyte Cyclosporin A (CyA) levels and the occurrence and frequency of infectious complications in kidney transplant patients.MethodsThe study involves 130 kidney transplant recipients who received CyA in addition to Mycophenolate Mofetil and steroids. CyA whole blood trough and maximum level (CyA BL0 and CyA BLm) as well as the corresponding levels in the lymphocytes (CyA L0 and CyA Lm) were measured for 6 months post-transplantation.ResultsCytomegalovirus (CMV) as well as urinary tract infections (UTIs) were the most commonly diagnosed with an incidence of 24.6% and 26.2%, respectively. Only CyA L0 showed a significant association with CMV infection occurrence (adjusted OR = 1.051, 95% CI .997–1.025, P-value 0.046). A positive linear correlation was found between CyA BL0, CyA BLm and CyA Lm and the number of CMV episodes per patient.ConclusionWe showed an association between the CMV infections occurrence and the trough lymphocyte level of CyA (CyA L0). Both lymphocyte CyA levels also correlated with the frequency of CMV infections. Further studies are needed to establish the optimal range of both CyA blood and lymphocyte levels and decrease the risk of opportunistic infections in high risk patients.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Cyclosporine Using Single Sampling Strategy

Cyclosporine is mainly used as Immunosuppressant after different kinds of transplantation including bone marrow, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, and other types of organ transplantations. Immunosuppressants diminish organ rejection and elongate the survival of the transplanted organs. Due to the narrow therapeutic ranges and significantly&#x0D; high interindividual and intraindividual variability in blood levels of cyclosporine, there is essential and vital need of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of this drug in order to maintain the patient within the required therapeutic concentrations, which consequently lead to optimizing the clinical outcome and decrease the hazard of toxicity or rejection following organ transplantations. The current review article was aimed to present data for using a single or possibly two blood sampling strategy to be used for TDM of cyclosporine in order to assess the optimal blood levels of cyclosporine used in organ transplant recipients. The results showed that steady state blood concentration of cyclosporine obtained after 2 hours (C2) and possibly after 3 hours (C3) of drug administration are the best sampling time points which reflect total drug exposure (area under blood concentration versus time curve=AUC) and consequently reflecting the effect and the adverse effect(s) of cyclosporine. On the other hand, blood samples obtained at other time points particularly steady state trough concentration obtained before the next dose (C0) demonstrated poor correlation with total drug exposure and consequently the clinical outcome of the drug. Moreover, this study also demonstrated that for organs transplantations TDM of cyclosporine and assessing the clinical conditions of the patients should be routinely performed in order to adjust the dose to get optimal effect and to diminish the adverse effects of the drug. This review article focused on the findings which indicated that monitoring steady-state blood levels of cyclosporine after 2 hours (C2) and likely after 3 hours (C3) of drug intake may be used as ideal surrogate index in TDM of cyclosporine and for predicting the clinical outcome of the drug in all and different types of organs transplantations.

Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Cyclosporine Using Single Sampling Strategy

Cyclosporine is mainly used as Immunosuppressant after different kinds of transplantation including bone marrow, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart, and other types of organ transplantations. Immunosuppressants diminish organ rejection and elongate the survival of the transplanted organs. Due to the narrow therapeutic ranges and significantly high interindividual and intraindividual variability in blood levels of cyclosporine, there is essential and vital need of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of this drug in order to maintain the patient within the required therapeutic concentrations, which consequently lead to optimizing the clinical outcome and decrease the hazard of toxicity or rejection following organ transplantations. The current review article was aimed to present data for using a single or possibly two blood sampling strategy to be used for TDM of cyclosporine in order to assess the optimal blood levels of cyclosporine used in organ transplant recipients. The results showed that steady state blood concentration of cyclosporine obtained after 2 hours (C2) and possibly after 3 hours (C3) of drug administration are the best sampling time points which reflect total drug exposure (area under blood concentration versus time curve=AUC) and consequently reflecting the effect and the adverse effect(s) of cyclosporine. On the other hand, blood samples obtained at other time points particularly steady state trough concentration obtained before the next dose (C0) demonstrated poor correlation with total drug exposure and consequently the clinical outcome of the drug. Moreover, this study also demonstrated that for organs transplantations TDM of cyclosporine and assessing the clinical conditions of the patients should be routinely performed in order to adjust the dose to get optimal effect and to diminish the adverse effects of the drug. This review article focused on the findings which indicated that monitoring steady-state blood levels of cyclosporine after 2 hours (C2) and likely after 3 hours (C3) of drug intake may be used as ideal surrogate index in TDM of cyclosporine and for predicting the clinical outcome of the drug in all and different types of organs transplantations.

Correlation between Cyclosporine Blood Levels and Area under Blood Concentration Time Curve in Iraqi Bone Marrow Transplant Patients Treated with Neoral® Oral Solution

Cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressive drug. It has a narrow therapeutic index, and therefore the measurement of cyclosporine’s blood concentration is essential to obtain optimal therapy. Measurement of the area under the blood concentration-time curve (AUC) is reflective of total drug exposure. However, for organ transplant patients, the measurement of AUC involves many problems and difficulties. Thus, it is more clinically acceptable to use a single blood sample as a surrogate index of total drug exposure. Fifty-four adults bone marrow transplant Iraqi patients were given cyclosporine every 12 h as prophylaxis using Neoral® oral solution. Steady-state blood concentrations were monitored for each patient at zero time and then at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, and at 12 h post-dosing. Cyclosporine blood levels were determined by using AXSYM automated immuno-analyzer which is a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). The present investigation demonstrated the best correlation between C2 and the corresponding AUC0–4h and AUC0–12h compared to other concentrations. After two months of cyclosporine therapy, no unexpected biochemical changes and adverse effects were registered. It is concluded from this study that a single blood sample obtained at 2 h post-dosing (C2) and possibly at 3 h post dosing (C3) are ideal surrogate indexes for reflecting total drug exposure, and therefore may be used in clinical practice for predicting therapeutic and toxic effects of cyclosporine.

Topical treatment of oral lichen planus

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a skin disease affecting the mouth, which can cause a burning or stinging discomfort in the mouth when eating or drinking. Ulcers may occur and these are especially painful. The cause of oral lichen planus is not known in most instances, but it is likely to be related to the body's immune system. In this study, the authors from China aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of drugs called topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI) with medicines applied to the skin called topical corticosteroids (TCS), in the treatment of OLP. The authors looked at globally published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting TCI (tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, and cyclosporine) compared with TCS for OLP from eight medical databases. Twenty‐one RCTs with a total of 965 patients published between 1995 and 2017 were included (tacrolimus‐TCS: 12 studies, 578 patients; pimecrolimus‐TCS: 3 studies, 98 patients; cyclosporine‐TCS: 6 studies, 289 patients). The authors found that TCI including tacrolimus, pimecrolimus and cyclosporine were similar to TCS in efficacy for the short‐term treatment of OLP (3‐8 weeks). In addition, tacrolimus 0.1% was similar to TCS in relapse rate. The blood levels of tacrolimus and cyclosporine were usually extremely low, while the few cases of patients with high levels may have been caused by swallowing the drug accidentally. Although a few adverse events (unwanted side effects) were observed in the tacrolimus and cyclosporine groups, no serious events were found. Therefore, TCI may be an alternative approach when OLP does not improve with use of TCS. Due to the limited trials of pimecrolimus and cyclosporine, as well as a few adverse events and high cost of cyclosporine, tacrolimus 0.1% should be the first drug of choice in TCI for the short‐term treatment of OLP that is not improving with TCS. More well‐designed RCTs are needed to evaluate the long‐term efficacy and safety of TCI compared with TCS.

Association Between CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 Genotypes and Cyclosporine's Blood Levels and Doses among Jordanian Kidney Transplanted Patients.

Cyclosporine is used as an immunosuppressive agent in kidney transplantation. It has a narrow therapeutic window. Cyclosporine is predominantly metabolized by CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. The most common Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) affecting cyclosporine metabolism (CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A4*1G, CYP3A4*22 and CYP3A5*3) were investigated among Jordanian kidney transplanted patients to find out the genotypes and allele frequencies of these SNPs. Additionally, this study investigated whether genotypes of CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 affect C2 blood levels, dosing of cyclosporine and the prevalence of acute rejection. Blood samples of 109 adult patients taking cyclosporine as their primary immunosuppressant for kidney transplantation were collected from the Prince Hamzah Hospital, Amman, Jordan. Patients' first C2 blood levels and their first two given doses were collected. Patients were genotyped for the four SNPs using Polymerase Chain Reaction- restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay method. Allele frequencies among Jordanian patients for CYP3A4*1B, CYP3A4*1G, CYP3A4*22 and CYP3A5*3 were 0.037, 0.399, 0.037 and 0.271, respectively. There was a significant association between CYP3A4*22 and mean difference in the second and first given doses (P=0.034). There was a big difference between CYP3A4*22 and the mean of the first C2 blood levels (P=0.063). There was a strong association between CYP3A4*22 and the mean difference between the second and first given doses. There was a trend of significant difference between the mean of the first C2 blood levels among heterozygous CYP3A4*22 patients. Pharmacogenomics may hold promise in assisting the prediction of the best cyclosporine dose and C2 blood level among Jordanian kidney transplant patients.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine and tacrolimus in Myanmar kidney transplant patients

IntroductionRenal transplantation is one of the best options for patients suffering from end stage renal disease (ESRD). Cyclosporine and Tacrolimus are mainly applied in immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation of liver, kidney, heart, and other organs. The used of immunosuppressant drugs improve the survival of transplanted organs and reduce organ rejection. Because of their narrow therapeutic index and significant inter-individual variability in blood concentrations, they need to monitor carefully. Therapeutic drug monitoring of tacrolimus and cyclosporine were needed to optimize the outcome in patients after renal transplantations. Maintaining the drugs levels reduce the risks of toxicity or rejection, respectively. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to identify the optimum blood trough level for cyclosporine and tacrolimus in Myanmar kidney transplant recipients. Materials and methodA retrospective cross sectional design was used and data collected from 50 patients who underwent kidney transplantation and receiving either cyclosporine or tacrolimus within six months after kidney transplantation. Among them 15 and 35 patients are taking cyclosporine and tacrolimus, respectively. For cyclosporine or tacrolimus trough-level monitoring, whole blood sample was drawn 15 min before the next dose and measured by immunoassay method. ResultsThe results showed that majority of cyclosporine and tacrolimus whole blood levels based on C0 (before the dose) concentration were achieved the therapeutic range. ConclusionTherefore, drugs concentration and the recommended clinical conditions should be routinely monitored to adjust the treatment and reduce adverse reactions. Therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine and Tacrolimus are important for the benefits of renal transplant patients in Myanmar.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Effect of Isavuconazole on Immunosuppressant Serum Blood Levels and Intravenous to Oral Dose Adjustments

Introduction Triazole anti-fungal drugs have been important in preventing fungal infections in immunosuppressed pts who have received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HSCT). These agents inhibit fungal cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, preventing ergosterol formation that is essential for fungal wall synthesis. However they also inhibit human CYP enzymes which are responsible for metabolism of certain drugs, notably immunosuppressants (IS) commonly used in allo-HSCT. This study is a retrospective analysis of the effect of the new triazole anti-fungal, isavuconazonium sulfate (ISV), on the serum blood levels of tacrolimus (Tac), cyclosporine (CsA), and Sirolimus (Siro) in pts who have received allo-HSCT. Patients and Methods This retrospective analysis included 78 pts who received a conventional, double-umbilical cord, or haplo-identical allogeneic stem cell transplant who received Tac, CsA, or Siro and were initiated on ISV for fungal prophylaxis. The pre-ISV serum blood level of IS was compared to the serum level 48 hrs after the start of the ISV loading dose. We also examined how IS were converted from IV to oral by comparing the IS level on the day of IV to PO conversion to the IS level 48 hrs after PO was initiated while pts received ISV. Results There were 85 instances of ISV initiation in 78 pts on IS. Of the 85 instances of ISV initiation 23 (27%) received CsA, 55 (65%) received Tac, and 7 (8%) received Siro. The median age was 56 (range 21-75) and 25 (32%) of the pts were female. Pts receiving IV CsA (n = 23) had a median percent dose change (%DC) of -10% on initiation of ISV and the median 48hr percent level change (%LC) was -5.7%, with a median net difference (%ND) of +6%. For the pts who were converted from IV CsA to PO CsA (n = 20) the empiric %DC from IV to PO was +25% with a %LC of +1.71% with a %ND of -18.51%. This corresponds to an IV:PO of 1:1.2. For pts receiving IV Tac (n = 55) the median %DC was -16.7% and the %LC was -3.4% with a %ND of +12.4 %. The pts who were converted from IV Tac to PO (n = 41) had a median empiric %DC of +200% with a corresponding %LC of -30.26, with a %ND of +228.49%. This corresponds to a IV:PO of 1:2.3. For the pts receiving Siro (n = 7) the median %DC was 0% and the median %LC of +17.8% with a %ND of +23.8%. Conclusion Initiation of ISV did result in serum level elevations in patients receiving CsA, Tac, and Siro. For CsA the increase in level was minimal, however for Tac and Siro the level increased 12.4% and 23.8% respectively which may be clinically important and dose reductions should be considered in select patients. This study also showed how ISV affects the IV to PO conversion of Tac and CsA with IV:PO ratios of 1:2.3 and 1:1.2 respectively. This demonstrates that ISV affects first-pass metabolism of Tac and CsA and this should be taken into consideration when making IV to PO conversions.

Interaction of cyclosporine with phenobarbital in cats: a preliminary study

Phenobarbital (PB) decreases the cyclosporine (CsA) blood level in humans. However, the interaction of PB with CsA has not been reported in cats. This study investigated the effects of multiple doses of PB on the pharmacokinetics of CsA in three healthy cats. The treatments included oral CsA 5 mg/kg alone and oral CsA 5 mg/kg plus PB 5 mg/kg for 4 weeks. Co-administration of PB with CsA resulted in significant decreases in the oral bioavailability of CsA though both the first pass and elimination phases. These preliminary results suggest that oral administration of multiple doses of PB increases the required CsA dosage in CsA-based immunosuppressive therapy in cats.

Early isolated optic neuropathy caused by cyclosporine.

To examine, for the first time, whether cyclosporine intake has an early isolated effect on the optic nerve. This observational case series consisted of 192 eyes of 98 patients treated with cyclosporine. Patient age and duration and dosage of cyclosporine were recorded, and visual acuity, optic nerve function, visual fields, and visual evoked potential (VEP) were tested. Fundus examination was also performed. Patients with glaucoma, vascular retinopathies, and deep amblyopia were excluded. Mean patient age was 46years, average duration of treatment was 6years, and median dosage of cyclosporine was 200mg daily. VEP was tested in 73 patients (142 eyes) and yielded a delayed P100 wave in 9 (12.32%) (14 eyes). Among these 9 patients, abnormal findings were also noted on the Ishihara colour test in 42.86% of the eyes, and on the visual field test in 64.3% of the eyes. Abnormal VEP showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with older age (> 46years) and a non-significant correlation with longer duration of treatment. Higher abnormal VEP potential was not correlated with higher cyclosporine dose, and there was no correlation between abnormal VEP and blood level of cyclosporine. Optic neuropathy was significantly associated with older age in cyclosporine-treated patients. A correlation between optic neuropathy with longer duration of cyclosporine treatment was noted but was not statistically significant. We suggest that tests of optic nerve function, including VEP, be a part of the follow-up of patients receiving cyclosporine.

Chagas Disease Recommendations for Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors.

Chagas Disease Recommendations for Solid-Organ Transplant Recipients and Donors.

Aliskiren reduces albuminuria after kidney transplantation

The renoprotective effects of the direct renin inhibitor, aliskiren, in renal transplant recipients have been supposed, but not finally proven. We performed an exploratory double-blind, losartan controlled, cross-over study to evaluate the influence of aliskiren, direct renin inhibitor, on albuminuria and other surrogate markers of kidney injury in patients after renal transplantation. The safety of this therapy was also evaluated. 16 of 18 patients (12 M, 4 F), 48.3 ± 9.0 years, 57.7 ± 9.1 months after kidney transplantation, with hypertension and stable serum creatinine 1.4 ± 0.08 mg/dl without proteinuria, completed the protocol. Each patient underwent two 8-week treatment periods (one with 150 mg of aliskiren, and one with 50 mg of losartan) in random order, allowing an 8-week placebo washout between them. There were no differences in albuminuria, transforming growth factor β-1 and 15-F2t-isoprostanes urine excretion between aliskiren and losartan. Creatinine serum level, eGFR, 24 h systolic and 24 h diastolic blood pressure were stable through the study. There were no differences in haemoglobin and potassium serum concentration between studied drugs. Aliskiren decreases albuminuria in renal transplant recipients with clinically minimal side effects. The effect does not differ from that of losartan.

Analysis of factors affecting initial cyclosporine level and its impact on post transplant outcomes in acute leukemia.

Trough cyclosporine (CsA) blood level can influence incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and relapse in patients with acute leukemia undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We sought to determine factors affecting initial trough CsA level (CsA-1) and its impact on transplant outcome in acute leukemia. Seventy-seven patients underwent HSCT for acute leukemia between January 2008 and March 2013 and were included. GVHD prophylaxis included CsA + methotrexate. (MTX) in 53 patients and CsA + mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in 24 patients CsA-1 was measured on day 3-5 of starting CsA and subsequent dose was modified to achieve therapeutic level of 150-200. ng/mL. According to CsA-1, patients were divided into three groups - 27 in Group A (dose escalated), 13 in Group B (dose de-escalated), and 37 in Group C (same dose continued). On univariate analysis, cyclophosphamide with total-body irradiation (TBI) based conditioning regimen and lower body mass index (BMI) were associated with lower CsA-1, while use of fludarabine and higher BMI were associated with higher CsA-1. On multivariate analysis, only fludarabine use and BMI affected CsA-1. Incidence of acute and chronic GVHD (aGVHD and cGVHD), transplant-related mortality, relapse incidence, and relapse-free and overall survival (OS) were similar in the three groups. While fludarabine use in conditioning regimen and higher BMI leads to higher CsA-1, transplant outcomes are not affected by CsA-1.

CD4 T-HELPER CELL COUNT IS AN ALTERNATIVE PROMISING MARKER FOR DOSING CYCLOSPORINE IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENT

CD4 T-HELPER CELL COUNT IS AN ALTERNATIVE PROMISING MARKER FOR DOSING CYCLOSPORINE IN KIDNEY TRANSPLANT PATIENT

Effects of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors on Hyperglycemia and Blood Cyclosporine Levels in Renal Transplant Patients with Diabetes: A Pilot Study.

BackgroundThe use of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors is increasing among renal transplant patients with diabetes. However, the glucose-lowering efficacies of various DPP-4 inhibitors and their effects on blood cyclosporine levels have not been fully investigated. We compared the glucose-lowering efficacies of DPP 4 inhibitors and evaluate their effects on the blood levels of cyclosporine in renal transplant recipients with diabetes.MethodsSixty-five renal allograft recipients who received treatment with DPP-4 inhibitors (vildagliptin, sitagliptin, or linagliptin) following kidney transplant were enrolled. The glucose-lowering efficacies of the DPP-4 inhibitors were compared according to the changes in the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after 3 months of treatment. Changes in the trough levels of the cyclosporine were also assessed 2 months after treatment with each DPP-4 inhibitor.ResultsHbA1c significantly decreased in the linagliptin group in comparison with other DPP-4 inhibitors (vildagliptin –0.38%±1.03%, sitagliptin –0.53%±0.95%, and linagliptin –1.40±1.34; P=0.016). Cyclosporine trough levels were significantly increased in the sitagliptin group compared with vildagliptin group (30.62±81.70 ng/mL vs. –24.22±53.54 ng/mL, P=0.036). Cyclosporine trough levels were minimally changed in patients with linagliptin.ConclusionLinagliptin demonstrates superior glucose-lowering efficacy and minimal effect on cyclosporine trough levels in comparison with other DPP-4 inhibitors in kidney transplant patients with diabetes.

Association of SNPs with the efficacy and safety of immunosuppressant therapy after heart transplantation.

Studying the possible influence of SNPs on efficacy and safety of calcineurin inhibitors upon heart transplantation. In 60 heart transplant patients treated with tacrolimus or cyclosporine, we studied a panel of 36 SNPs correlated with a series of clinical parameters during the first post-transplantation year. The presence of serious infections was correlated to ABCB1 rs1128503 (p = 0.012), CC genotype reduced the probability of infections being also associated with lower blood cyclosporine concentrations. Lower renal function levels were found in patients with rs9282564 AG (p = 0.003), related to higher blood cyclosporine blood levels. A tendency toward increased graft rejection (p = 0.05) was correlated to rs2066844 CC in NOD2/CARD15, a gene related to lymphocyte activation. Pharmacogenetics can help identify patients at increased risk of clinical complications. Original submitted 30 January 2015; revision submitted 27 March 2015.

Two Patients Treated With Simeprevir Plus Pegylated-Interferon and Ribavirin Triple Therapy for Recurrent Hepatitis C After Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Case Report

We previously reported our data on telaprevir (TVR) used in combination with pegylated-interferon and ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) for the treatment of recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection after liver transplantation (LT). TVR substantially increases the blood levels of immunosuppressive agents such as cyclosporine and tacrolimus for drug-drug interactions. On the other hand, the effect of simeprevir (SMV) on the blood levels of these immunosuppressive agents is unclear. We report 2 patients who achieved viral responses with little effect on the blood levels of cyclosporine and tacrolimus using SMV plus PEG-IFN/RBV treatment. The first was a 71-year-old woman with HCV-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma who failed to respond to PEG-IFN/RBV after living donor LT. She was treated with 40 mg/d of cyclosporine, and received SMV plus PEG-IFN/RBV treatment. The second was a 65-year-old man with HCV-related liver cirrhosis who failed to respond to PEG-IFN/RBV after living donor LT. He was treated with 3 mg/d of tacrolimus, and received SMV plus PEG-IFN/RBV treatment. Serum HCV RNA became undetectable using TaqMan polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test after 4 weeks of treatment in both patients, and no remarkable fluctuation in blood concentration was observed either in cyclosporine or tacrolimus during the 12 weeks of SMV treatment. Completion of 12-week SMV triple therapy was followed by PEG-IFNα2b plus RBV, and both patients achieved sustained virological response 12 weeks after the end of treatment. SMV plus PEG-IFNRBV treatment showed a remarkable viral response with little effect on blood levels of immunosuppressive agents for recurrent HCV genotype 1 infection after LT.