Immunosuppressant medication in cardiac transplant patients - between therapeutic benefit and iatrogenic pathology

In a retrospective study, the safety profile and efficacy of immunosuppressive medication was evaluated in 35 patients with cardiac transplant in Targu Mures during 1999-2011 (11 treated with cyclosporine, 24 with tacrolimus, both drugs were associated with mycophenolate mofetil). Therapeutic benefit was measured by survival curve and lack of rejection while safety was evaluated by measuring plasma immunosuppressive drugs levels and evaluation of specific adverse events (nephrotoxicity, diabetes, and hypertension). The most frequent side effect was nephrotoxicity (significant reduction in glomerular filtration rate estimated by MDRD formula), but no significant differences were found between the 2 medications.