The results of this study show that BKN is associated with TAC level and prednisone dose and not with MMF dose. This suggests that reducing TAC and prednisone dose and maintaining MMF may be a more appropriate initial approach for the treatment of BKN. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy and safety of this approach with the currently recommended one.

Close therapeutic drug monitoring and evaluation of drug-specific side effects continue to be an important key to minimize adverse events due to drug-drug interactions.

Although reduction in immunosuppression on detection of BK viral replication appears to be the most successful means in preserving allograft function, data are emerging that support the stronger association of the disease with tacrolimus, in contrast to mycophenolate compounds. Therefore, initial dose reduction for tacrolimus may be more beneficial than this anti-metabolite preemptively or after diagnosis of BKN.

Our study suggests that PI-based antiretroviral therapy regimens are associated with improved graft survival and that patients can achieve adequate outcomes on a PI-based regimen when necessary. Due to study limitations, further studies are needed to determine the optimal immunosuppression/antiretroviral therapy regimen post-transplant.

As new immunosuppressive agents are introduced to the market, clinicians are faced with the daunting task of sifting through the published literature to decide the value that the agent will add to their own practice. We often must extrapolate information provided through study in other solid-organ transplantation populations than our specific area of interest as we interpret the results and outcomes. With these challenges in mind, this compilation of published work for the newest mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor everolimus (Certican; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Hanover, NJ) (Zortress; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Basel, Switzerland) is intended to provide a concise but thorough presentation of available literature so that the reader who may be unfamiliar with the agent can make their own judgment. Both Ovid and PubMed search engines were queried with a particular focus on high-impact articles noted in the Web of Science or Citation Index. Work described solely in abstract or case report form was excluded, as well as meta-analyses or those that were editorial or commentary in nature. Included were publications presented using the English language that described adult human subjects who received a heart, lung, kidney, or liver allograft. The goal of this strategy was to allow for the inclusion of pertinent literature in an unbiased fashion. Tables are provided that outline trial specific information, leaving a discussion of major outcomes to the text of the review.

Background Kidney transplant recipients are at increased risk for adverse safety events related to their reduced renal function and many medications. Methods We determined the incidence of adverse safety events based on previously defined Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality (AHRQ) ICD-9 code-derived patient safety indicators (PSI) in the Folic Acid for Vascular Outcome Reduction in Transplant (FAVORIT) trial participants who had a hospitalization stratified by tertiles of estimated glomerular filtration rate. We also examined the frequency of Micromedex defined two precautionary drug-drug interactions, and two medications whose use may be contraindicated due to reduced GFR from the FAVORIT trial Medication Thesaurus at baseline, and annually among 4110 participants. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between patient safety events and baseline demographic and clinical variables at a participant level. Event rates were estimated at participant and visit levels. Results Of the 2514 patients with a hospitalization, 978 (38.9%) experienced an AHRQ PSI. Factors which were associated with more common AHRQ PSI included: US location, history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, and lower tertile of estimated GFR. At a participant level, 2524 of the 4110 participants (61.4%) were taking a CNI and a statin, 378 (9.2%) were taking azathioprine and an ACE inhibitor, 171 (12.9%) were taking a sulfonylurea ), 45 (3.4%) were taking metformin despite a baseline GFR below 40 ml/min/1.73m2. Conclusions We conclude that patient safety events are not uncommon in kidney transplant recipients. Careful monitoring is necessary to prevent adverse outcomes.

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