Experience with therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine. 2004

D Abendroth
Division of Visceral and Transplant Surgery University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.

During the past 20 years, cyclosporine (CsA) has become the main part of immunosuppressive protocols. Its impact to improve the quality and quantity of transplantation surgery has been enormous. Immunosuppression in allograft recipients 10 years after renal transplantation CsA continued to demonstrate benefits on graft survival without evidence of long-term morbidity. The pharmacokinetic properties of CsA show wide interpatient variation. After being subject of intense investigation for more than 20 years, it only recently has the full potential of the drug been realized, primarily due to two advances: first, the development of a microemulsified formulation, (Neoral), that improves drug delivery; second, substantial improvements in CsA monitoring. Sparse-sampling algorithms were developed specifically to predict AUCs. We prospectively investigated the practicality, intrapatient variability, and impact on the outcomes of toxicity and rejection episodes using an algorithm. Rejection episodes were diminished by 43.5% in the first 3 months compared to the results in the previous 3 years. Furthermore, the relation of the trough versus C2 concentrations performed at day 3 to 5 and 10 to 12 predicted the probability of an acute rejection episode. Using a truncated AUC to identify patients at risk for rejection episodes early provides optimal and individualized immunosuppression. This pharmacokinetic rationale has now eventuated in an international consensus statement that represents a further step toward optimal immunosuppression.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007166 Immunosuppressive Agents Agents that suppress immune function by one of several mechanisms of action. Classical cytotoxic immunosuppressants act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Others may act through activation of T-CELLS or by inhibiting the activation of HELPER CELLS. While immunosuppression has been brought about in the past primarily to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, new applications involving mediation of the effects of INTERLEUKINS and other CYTOKINES are emerging. Immunosuppressant,Immunosuppressive Agent,Immunosuppressants,Agent, Immunosuppressive,Agents, Immunosuppressive
D006084 Graft Rejection An immune response with both cellular and humoral components, directed against an allogeneic transplant, whose tissue antigens are not compatible with those of the recipient. Transplant Rejection,Rejection, Transplant,Transplantation Rejection,Graft Rejections,Rejection, Graft,Rejection, Transplantation,Rejections, Graft,Rejections, Transplant,Rejections, Transplantation,Transplant Rejections,Transplantation Rejections
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014181 Transplantation Immunology A general term for the complex phenomena involved in allo- and xenograft rejection by a host and graft vs host reaction. Although the reactions involved in transplantation immunology are primarily thymus-dependent phenomena of cellular immunity, humoral factors also play a part in late rejection. Immunology, Transplantation
D016572 Cyclosporine A cyclic undecapeptide from an extract of soil fungi. It is a powerful immunosupressant with a specific action on T-lymphocytes. It is used for the prophylaxis of graft rejection in organ and tissue transplantation. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed). Cyclosporin A,Ciclosporin,CsA-Neoral,CyA-NOF,Cyclosporin,Cyclosporine A,Neoral,OL 27-400,Sandimmun,Sandimmun Neoral,Sandimmune,CsA Neoral,CsANeoral,CyA NOF,OL 27 400,OL 27400
D016903 Drug Monitoring The process of observing, recording, or detecting the effects of a chemical substance administered to an individual therapeutically or diagnostically. Monitoring, Drug,Therapeutic Drug Monitoring,Drug Monitoring, Therapeutic,Monitoring, Therapeutic Drug
D019540 Area Under Curve A statistical means of summarizing information from a series of measurements on one individual. It is frequently used in clinical pharmacology where the AUC from serum levels can be interpreted as the total uptake of whatever has been administered. As a plot of the concentration of a drug against time, after a single dose of medicine, producing a standard shape curve, it is a means of comparing the bioavailability of the same drug made by different companies. (From Winslade, Dictionary of Clinical Research, 1992) AUC,Area Under Curves,Curve, Area Under,Curves, Area Under,Under Curve, Area,Under Curves, Area

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