Early Determination of Tacrolimus Concentration–Dose Ratio Identifies Risk of Allograft Loss in Kidney Transplantation
Introduction: Fast tacrolimus–metabolizing kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) (i.e., tacrolimus trough-level/total daily dose [C0/D < 1.05]) have poorer allograft function; however, their identification in a real-life setting is challenging. We investigated the reproducibility of tacrolimus meta...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Kidney International Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468024925001032 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: Fast tacrolimus–metabolizing kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) (i.e., tacrolimus trough-level/total daily dose [C0/D < 1.05]) have poorer allograft function; however, their identification in a real-life setting is challenging. We investigated the reproducibility of tacrolimus metabolic status during the first months after transplantation and its association with long-term allograft outcomes. Methods: All KTRs between 2000 and 2019 with a functional allograft at 1 month and receiving tacrolimus in our center were included. Fast or slow tacrolimus metabolizers were classified according to the time spent with a C0/D < 1.05 (> 75% = High, < 25% = Low) at various time points posttransplantation. We first determined the earliest accurate time for patient categorization by investigating C0/D variability during the first months. Second, a multivariate cause-specific Cox model studying allograft outcomes was performed in groups identified by their status determined from the earliest accurate timepoint after transplantation. Results: Among 1979 patients included in the analysis, 2 months was the earliest accurate timepoint to determine High patients (85% of High patients identified at 2 months remained High long-term, Brier score = 0.06). Multivariate analysis revealed that High patients determined at 2 months (n = 499) had a significantly higher risk of allograft loss (cause-specific hazard ratio [CS-HR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48–2.69) and allograft rejection (CS-HR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.15–2.54) than Low patients after adjustment for confounding factors. Moreover, allograft function was lower in High patients (46.7 vs. 52.9 ml/min, at 3 years, P < 0.0001) with a higher proportion of chronic vascular lesions at 1 year. Conclusion: C0/D is a simple and pragmatic tool capable of identifying patients at risk of rejection and allograft failure as early as the second month posttransplantation. |
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| ISSN: | 2468-0249 |