BENEFICIAL EFFECT OF LOW DOSE CYCLOSPORINE WITH MMF (MYCOPHENOLATE MOFETIL) IN RENAL ALLOGRAFT RECIPIENTS

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) have significantly reduced the incidence of acute rejection. Nephrotoxicity however may contribute to long-term allograft dysfunction. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may allow cyclosporine (CsA) dose reduction without increasing the risk of rejection. In seventy-eight living unrelated kidney transplant patients with renal dysfunction, we studied the effect of CsA dose reduction in association with MMF on renal function and cardiovascular risk profile. We reduced the cyclosporine dose from mean 3.5±0.94 mg/kg/d to 2±0.51 mg/kg/d,p