Change in immunosuppressive therapy benefits heart transplant patients

            There are no hard and fast rules in immunosuppressant. Researchers at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam, Holland switched 10 stable heart transplant patients and 45 recipients with cyclosporine-related side effects to tacrolinus 60 days to 14 years post transplant. With this switch, side effect profiles improved and rejection episodes resolved. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol levels improved significantly in both groups. Rental function remained unchanged as evidenced by stable serum creatinine levels. (Clinical Transplantation 2001; 15; 276 – 283)