Therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine. 2004

K Midtvedt
Department of Medicine, Nephrology Unit, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. karsten.midtvedt@rikshospitalet.no

Therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine has been established as part of the routine clinical treatment for patients after organ transplantation. The inability to define optimal dose (maximize efficacy/minimize toxicity) has been a problem related to drug monitoring of cyclosporine. The original cyclosporine formula showed high intra-patient and inter-patient variability and low bioavailability. The microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine (Neoral) was introduced to address the absorption problems related to the original cyclosporine formulation. With the introduction of Neoral, renewed interest in methods of therapeutic drug monitoring brought us from trough monitoring (C0) to levels measured 2 hours after dosing (C2). The pharmacokinetic rationale for using C2 to monitor patients receiving Neoral has demonstrated a reduced incidence of rejection in de novo patients and improvements in safety profile in both renal and hepatic transplant recipients. Monitoring C2 levels is a more precise method for optimizing cyclosporine dosing and a better way to individualize therapy. Further data are required from prospective trials to evaluate the clinical benefits of adopting C2 monitoring in cardiac and lung transplant recipients as well as in long-term maintenance patients.

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
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001682 Biological Availability The extent to which the active ingredient of a drug dosage form becomes available at the site of drug action or in a biological medium believed to reflect accessibility to a site of action. Availability Equivalency,Bioavailability,Physiologic Availability,Availability, Biologic,Availability, Biological,Availability, Physiologic,Biologic Availability,Availabilities, Biologic,Availabilities, Biological,Availabilities, Physiologic,Availability Equivalencies,Bioavailabilities,Biologic Availabilities,Biological Availabilities,Equivalencies, Availability,Equivalency, Availability,Physiologic Availabilities
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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