What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized study to evaluate replacing calcineurin inhibitors with mycophenolate mofetil in liver transplant patients experiencing kidney problems.
What They Found
Serum creatinine significantly decreased by 44.4 micromol/L in patients who switched to mycophenolate mofetil, compared to a 3.1 micromol/L decrease in controls. This group also saw significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (10.8 mm Hg difference), diastolic blood pressure (5.0 mm Hg difference), and serum uric acid (83.1 micromol/L difference). However, three reversible acute graft rejections occurred in the mycophenolate mofetil group, while none occurred in the control group.
Canadian Relevance
While no direct Canadian authors or study sites are identified, the study addresses a Health Canada-recognized indication for immunosuppression in liver transplant patients, a common clinical scenario in Canada.
Study Limitations
The study's main limitations include its small sample size of 28 participants and the increased risk of graft rejection observed with mycophenolate mofetil monotherapy.