Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Profibrotic cytokines and lymphocyte proliferation in stable renal allograft recipients treated with or without cyclosporine A.

Waiser J, Schneider M, Eljazyfer S, Slowinski T, Glander P, Einecke G, Budde K, Neumayer HH, Böhler T

Department of Internal Medicine-Nephrology, University Hospital Charité, Campus Mitte, Schumannstrasse 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany. johannes.waiser@charite.de

Profibrotic cytokines such as transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) are involved in the pathogenesis of chronic allograft nephropathy. We assessed the effect of maintenance immunosuppression with or without cyclosporine A on TGF-beta1 and ET-1 expression as well as lymphocyte proliferation in renal allograft recipients. Patients were divided into groups according to their maintenance immunosuppression: A, azathioprine + methylprednisolone; B, cyclosporine A + azathioprine + methylprednisolone. TGF-beta1 and ET-1 plasma concentrations were not different between both groups. TGF-beta1 concentrations in cell culture supernatants and lymphocyte proliferation were higher in group B as compared to group A. No correlation was found between TGF-beta1 plasma concentrations and lymphocyte proliferation. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that patient characteristics influence TGF-beta1 and ET-1 expression. In conclusion, plasma levels of profibrotic cytokines do not reflect the existing profibrotic potential of immunosuppressive drugs. Demographic factors and the employed co-medication confound the results.

Published 10 March 2006 in Clin Immunol, 119(1): 59-66.
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