The Current Role of Calcineurin Inhibitors in Posttransplant Immunosuppression?

It is important to determine when to use and when to avoid calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs). CNIs are associated with kidney dysfunction in some, but not all, transplant recipients. CNI-sparing protocols have their own drug-specific limitations. Two major clinical series suggest the benefit of routine CNI-sparing approaches, but our review suggests weaknesses in both. Ongoing studies are needed to determine which subgroups of recipients will benefit from CNIs.     

Immunosuppression Minimization in Pediatric Transplantation

The greatest benefit of immunosuppression minimization for children may lie in improving patient morbidity, by the elimination of the inherent side effects of steroid and calcineurin inhibitors (CNI). The newer generation of powerful induction and maintenance immunosuppressants offers an option for selected immunosuppression minimization strategies, some of which have been shown to also reduce graft morbidity. Steroid minimization and avoidance in single-center uncontrolled trials have shown early promise and the availability of data from an ongoing randomized, prospective, controlled trial of steroid avoidance in children will provide necessary data to support a practice change for steroid elimination in children. Calcineurin inhibitor minimization and addition of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or sirolimus have shown variable improvements in renal function, though suboptimal efficacy and safety with the currently proposed regimes have limited their application. Randomized, prospective studies of steroid and calcineurin inhibitor minimization and/or avoidance are warranted to clearly confirm the short and long-term safety and efficacy of alternative immunosuppression combinations. Linked pharmacokinetic and mechanistic studies within these trials will allow for optimizing drug dosing and monitoring. This article reviews published experience to date with steroid and calcineurin minimization in pediatric renal transplantation and discusses the risks and benefits of these approaches.     

Thrombotic Micro‐Angiopathy with Sirolimus‐Based Immunosuppression: Potentiation of Calcineurin‐Inhibitor‐Induced Endothelial Damage?

Thrombotic microangiopathy is a rare but important finding in the context of organ transplantation. Acute renal insufficiency in the setting of hemolysis and thrombocytopenia, a triad that constitutes 'hemolytic uremic syndrome', can be associated with, or triggered by, conditions such as verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli, viral infections, malignant hypertension, scleroderma, allograft rejection, lupus erythematosus, pregnancy, and medications including mitomycin C, calcineurin inhibitors, and oral contraceptives. After renal transplantation, it can occur, as either a de novo episode, or recurrent disease. Calcineurin inhibitors have long been associated with post-transplantation thrombotic microangiopathy. Sirolimus has been used as a primary immunosuppressant in patients transplanted with a history of earlier hemolytic-uremic syndrome, and also as rescue therapy in patients with calcineurin-inhibitor-associated thrombotic microangiopathy. We describe four cases where there was significant thrombotic microangiopathy in the context of contemporaneous or contiguous calcineurin inhibitor and sirolimus usage. As the intrarenal cyclosporin concentration is thought to be significantly elevated when cyclosporin and sirolimus are used together, this may explain these findings, and mandates caution in their co-administration.     

Tacrolimus Exposure and Evolution of Renal Allograft Histology in the First Year After Transplantation

Tacrolimus has a narrow therapeutic window and is characterized by a large inter-individual variability in bioavailability. The impact of tacrolimus exposure on subclinical evolution of graft histology has not been studied in renal recipients. This analysis included 239 protocol biopsies (obtained at implantation, 3 and 12 months) of 120 consecutive kidney recipients treated with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids. Biopsies were scored according to the Banff 2001 criteria and a chronicity score was calculated. Prospective pharmacokinetic data were included in the analysis (5544 tacrolimus predose blood concentrations and tacrolimus AUC(0-12) at 3 and 12 months). Higher donor age and higher number of human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) mismatches were independent predictors of subclinical acute rejection at 3 months, present in 8.7% of patients. The number of HLA-DR mismatches was independently associated with biopsy-proven clinical acute rejection. Biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes and low mean tacrolimus exposure were independently associated with higher increase in chronicity scores between 3 and 12 months after transplantation. This observational study suggests that rejection phenomena and immune-mediated mechanisms remain important in the early progression of chronic allograft pathology. Tacrolimus doses or systemic exposure were not associated with lesions of calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, suggesting that other factors determine susceptibility to tacrolimus nephrotoxicity.     

Calcineurin in the postnatal striatum of the rat: an immunohistochemical study

Summary This report concerns the postnatal expression of calcineurin (CaN) in rat striatum. For this purpose an immunohistochemical procedure was used. In neonatal striatum CaN immunoreactivity was found in discrete patches composed of many immature cells. With development there was an increase in staining intensity and in the proportion of positively reacting cells. CaN expression and localization in the striatum of 22–25 day old rats were similar to those of adult animals.     

IL-10抑制AVP诱导大鼠心脏成纤维细胞CaN活性

目的：研究白细胞介素10（IL-10）对精氨酸血管加压素(AVP)诱导大鼠心脏成纤维细胞(CFs)钙调神经磷酸酶（CaN）活性的影响。方法:用培养的新生SD大鼠CFs，四氮唑盐(MTT)比色法检测CFs增殖，流式细胞仪检测细胞周期，分光光度法测定CaN活性。结果:（1）10-7 mol/L AVP组CFs的吸光度（A490）明显高于对照组（P<0.01）。IL-10呈浓度依赖性下调 AVP诱导的CFs的A490值（P<0.05或P<0.01）。IL-10本身对CFs的增殖无抑制作用。（2）10-7 mol/L AVP组CFs的S期百分率及增殖指数均明显高于对照组（均P<0.01）；10-6 g/L IL-10+10-7 mol/LAVP组S期百分率及增殖指数均明显低于AVP组（P<0.01）。（3）10-7 mol/L AVP组CaN活性明显高于对照组（P<0.01）；10-8、10-7、10-6和10-5g/L +10-7 mol/L AVP组的CaN活性均明显低于AVP组（P<0.01），但仍高于对照组（P<0.01或P<0.05）。IL-10呈浓度依赖性下调 AVP诱导CFs的CaN活性。结论:IL-10具有抑制AVP诱导CFs增殖和下调CFs的CaN活性的作用，这可能对预防和逆转心脏重构有一定的价值。     

钙调神经磷酸酶在大鼠不同组织中的分布及活性

目的:观察钙调神经磷酸酶(CaN)在大鼠不同器官组织中的活性和蛋白分布。方法:取正常大鼠不同器官组织,应用Westernblot及免疫组织化学方法测定CaN催化亚单位α亚型(CnAα)在各组织中的蛋白含量及分布,并用[³²P]标记的底物肽测定各组织的CaN活性。结果:①Westernblot结果显示,CnAα在大鼠脑组织中有丰富表达,心脏、骨骼肌和肺中亦有表达,但肾脏及主动脉未检测出有CnAα表达。②免疫组织化学显示,大鼠脑组织、心肌细胞胞浆内、肺内巨噬细胞及细支气管周围的结缔组织、主动脉外膜、肾小血管周围结缔组织及肾远曲小管及集合管的外壁中存在免疫反应阳性产物。③CaN活性在脑组织最高,其次为骨骼肌、心肌和肺组织,主动脉和肾脏最低。结论:钙调神经磷酸酶在体内具有广泛分布,可能参与多种器官组织的功能调节。     

钙调神经磷酸酶参与心衰患者心肌重构的信号转导

目的：探讨血管紧张素Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ)介导的钙调神经磷酸酶（CaN）信号通路参与心力衰竭（CHF）患者心肌重塑的机制。方法:选择因瓣膜性心脏病接受二尖瓣置换术的CHF病人39例，正常对照38例(其中8例来自意外伤亡的器官捐献者)。彩色多普勒超声心动图仪检测心脏扩大和心功能参数。放免法检测血浆及心肌组织Ang Ⅱ浓度，免疫沉淀法测心肌组织CaN、活化T细胞核因子(NFAT₃）、锌指转录因子(GATA₄)磷酸化及蛋白表达，RT-PCR检测肌球蛋白重链（β-MHC）mRNA表达。结果:AngⅡ分别与心脏扩大参数呈显著正相关，而与心功能参数呈显著负相关。CHF患者心肌组织CaN蛋白表达、CaN磷酸化、GATA^₄蛋白表达及β-MHC mRNA表达明显高于对照组，随心功能恶化其表达逐渐增加；NFAT₃磷酸化随心功能恶化而减弱。结论：肾素血管紧张素系统（RAS）激活的CaN信号通路在CHF患者心肌重构机制中可能起重要作用。     

肾移植患者神经钙蛋白阻滞药的肾毒性

目的:了解减少或停用神经钙蛋白阻滞药能否改善肾移植后慢性移植物肾病患者的肾功能.方法:1999年1月～2001年5月期间,对病理诊断为慢性移植物肾病(Ⅰ级)肾功不全的93例肾移植患者随机分为A、B两组,A组(50例):在1～2周内将其神经钙蛋白阻滞药(环孢素或他克莫司)减少至原剂量的三分之一或完全停用,同时适当增加硫唑嘌呤或霉酚酸脂的用量;B组(43例):环孢素A或他克莫司未作大幅度减量、而是仅适当增加硫唑嘌呤或霉酚酸脂的用量.对两组患者进行至少3年的随访,比较其移植肾功能、观察两组急性排斥反应有无差异等.结果:3年后A组有31例(62.0%)患者移植肾功能得以好转或不再继续恶化,而B组除4例(9.3%)移植肾功能维持在原有水平外,其他患者肾功能均进行性恶化;3年后A组肾功能明显好于B组;B组3年后尿蛋白定量明显增多,而A组无明显改变;两组急性排斥反应发生率无显著差异.结论:大幅度减少甚至停用神经钙蛋白阻滞药可使部分肾移植后慢性移植物肾病患者的肾功能得以改善或者阻止其进行性恶化.这种药物调整是安全的.