Volume 23, Issue 3 e13368
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Early post-operative intravenous tacrolimus in pediatric liver transplant recipients is not superior to oral tacrolimus

Tarek Abdelazeem Sabra

Tarek Abdelazeem Sabra

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Department of General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Graduate School of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

Al-Rajhi Liver Institute, Assiut University Hospitals, Assiut, Egypt

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Hideaki Okajima

Corresponding Author

Hideaki Okajima

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

Correspondence

Hideaki Okajima, Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.

Email: [email protected]

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Atsushi Yoshizawa

Atsushi Yoshizawa

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

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Eri Ogawa

Eri Ogawa

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

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Shinya Okamoto

Shinya Okamoto

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

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Mohamed Abdelkader Osman

Mohamed Abdelkader Osman

Department of General Surgery, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Graduate School of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

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Yasser Saad-Eldin

Yasser Saad-Eldin

Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

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Shinji Uemoto

Shinji Uemoto

Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery and Transplantation, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan

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First published: 04 February 2019

Abstract

We aimed to compare the early results of i.v. with p.o. TAC as a primary immunosuppressant in pediatric patients undergoing LT. This retrospective study enrolled 75 children who underwent LT and received TAC-steroid regimens as a primary immunosuppressant between September 2011 and October 2015 at our institution. Thirty-five recipients received TAC i.v. and 40 received TAC p.o. Early results were evaluated and compared, including ACR, EBV, or CMV infection; renal adverse effects; and hospital stay. Comparisons of 90-day post-transplant results showed that the rates of overall viral (74% vs 40% P < 0.002), EBV (46% vs 17.5% P < 0.008), and CMV (51% vs 30% P = 0.05) infections were significantly higher in the i.v. than in the p.o. group. Neither regimen has any adverse effects on renal function. There were no between-group differences in ACR incidence and severity, serum creatinine concentration, and hospital stay. Patient and graft survival rates at 3 months and 1 year did not differ significantly between the two groups. Compared with p.o. treatment, i.v. administration of high TAC concentration did not have beneficial post-transplant effects on ACR incidence and severity, while increasing the incidence of viral infections in pediatric LT.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors of this manuscript declare no conflicts of interest.

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