Mycophenolate Mofetil in Combination with Tacrolimus in Adult Living Donor Liver Transplant Recipients

Cho, Jai Young; Suh, Kyung Suk; Kwon, Choon Hyuck; Yi, Nam Joon; Lee, Kuhn Uk

Abstract

PURPOSE: This is a trial attempting to show that the addition of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) can reduce toxicity without impacting efficacy in patients undergoing adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) who experience adverse events on tacrolimus (Tac).
METHODS
Between February 1999 and December 2002, 47 cases of adult LDLT were administered Tac as a first-line immunosuppressive agents. Patients were categorized to a Tac Group (Tac+steroid; n=24) or a Tac/MMF Group (Tac+steroid+MMF; n=23).
RESULTS
The actuarial 2-year patient survival rate was similar in the two groups (91.3% vs. 87.0%, P=0.591), and the 2-year rejection-free survival rate was also comparable (95.2% vs. 90.0%, P=0.672). In 14 patients with nephrotoxicity, mean creatinine levels decreased significantly from 1.80+/-0.24 mg/dL to 1.31+/-0.30 (P=0.001) within 3 months of adding of MMF. Of two patients with neurotoxicity, the clinical symptoms of one patient improved after adding MMF. In 7 patients with a lower therapeutic level, the mean Tac doses could be reduced from 6.4+/-4.0 mg at study entry to 2.4+/-1.4 mg 12 months after adding MMF.
CONCLUSION
The addition of MMF to Tac is a potent immunosuppressive agent to reduce the Tac-induced toxicity, and which does not increase the risk of allograft rejection in LDLT.