Favorable longterm outcomes of liver transplant recipients treated de novo with once-daily tacrolimus: Results of a single-center cohort.

The once-daily prolonged-release formulation of tacrolimus has been recently related with significant graft and patient mid-term survival advantages; however, practical information on the de novo administration after liver transplantation and longterm outcomes is currently lacking. This study is a 5-year retrospective analysis of a single-center cohort of liver transplant recipients treated de novo with once-daily tacrolimus (April 2008/August 2011). The study cohort consisted of 160 patients, including 23 with pretransplant renal dysfunction, with a median follow-up of 57.6 months (interquartile range, 46.6-69.0). Tacrolimus target trough levels were 5-10 ng/mL during the first 3 months after transplant, reducing progressively to <7 ng/mL after the first posttransplant year. Once-daily tacrolimus was withdrawn in 35 (21.8%) patients during follow-up, mostly due to renal dysfunction and/or metabolic syndrome. The biopsy-proven acute rejection rate was 12.5% with no cases of steroid-resistant rejection. The cumulative incidence of de novo diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were 16.9%, 31.2%, and 6.5%, respectively. Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence rate was 2.8%. Renal function remained stable after the sixth month after transplant with a mean estimated glomerular filtration rate of 77.7 ± 19.6 mL/minute/1.73 m(2) at 5 years. None of our patients developed chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5. Patient survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 96.3%, 91.9%, and 88.3%, respectively. Overall survival of patients with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score > 25 points was not significantly different. In conclusion, our study suggests that immunosuppression based on de novo once-daily tacrolimus is feasible in routine clinical practice, showing favorable outcomes and outstanding longterm survival even in patients with high MELD scores. Liver Transplantation 22 1391-1400 2016 AASLD.