Long-term use of cyclosporine in liver recipients. Reduction of dosages in the first year to avoid nephrotoxicity.

Cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressive drug, which has dose-related nephrotoxicity. In renal transplantation, the differentiation between rejection and toxicity is difficult and even with the aid of blood levels of the drug, it may be difficult to establish a chronic maintenance dose. Long-term survivors after liver transplantation can provide modes with which to establish maintenance doses, as these are dictated by nephrotoxicity in these patients. Twenty-nine liver transplant patients who survived one year or more were followed for changes in their cyclosporine doses. Daily oral cyclosporine dose, BUN, serum creatinine and bilirubin were monitored. The reductions in cyclosporine were dictated almost entirely by the findings of nephrotoxicity.