Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 18, 2026

Quantification of the Immunosuppressant Tacrolimus on Dried Blood Spots Using LC-MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2015
Cyclosporin A and imipenem associated seizure activity in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation patients
1Marmara University, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Istanbul, Turkey. turhal@superonline.com
Imipenem is an antibiotic used with cilastatin in the bone marrow transplant (BMT) setting. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive agent. Seizures can be seen with both imipenem/cilastatin and CsA. Our hypothesis for study was that CNS toxicity and seizures are increased by the concomitant administration of CsA and imipenem/cilastatin. Between December of 1989 and 1996, all of the 166 stem cell BMTs performed at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York were evaluated for this study. Three groups were studied: 77 patients received CsA alone (Group 1); 89 patients received imipenem/cilastatin, and of these, 45 received concomitant CsA (Group 2); and 44 patients who underwent autologous BMT received imipenem/cilastatin only (Group 3). We observed a total of 5 seizure episodes. There were no statistical differences in frequency between the groups. Adverse effects may be difficult to relate to a particular drug, especially for patients on multidrug regimens but the use of imipenem/cilastatin and CsA did not cause a significant rise in the frequency of seizures when compared to CsA alone.
Imipenem is an antibiotic used with cilastatin in the bone marrow transplant (BMT) setting. Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive agent. Seizures can be seen with both imipenem/cilastatin and CsA. Our hypothesis for study was that CNS toxicity and seizures are increased by the concomitant administration of CsA and imipenem/cilastatin. Between December of 1989 and 1996, all of the 166 stem cell BMTs performed at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York were evaluated for this study. Three groups were studied: 77 patients received CsA alone (Group 1); 89 patients received imipenem/cilastatin, and of these, 45 received concomitant CsA (Group 2); and 44 patients who underwent autologous BMT received imipenem/cilastatin only (Group 3). We observed a total of 5 seizure episodes. There were no statistical differences in frequency between the groups. Adverse effects may be difficult to relate to a particular drug, especially for patients on multidrug regimens but the use of imipenem/cilastatin and CsA did not cause a significant rise in the frequency of seizures when compared to CsA alone.
Related Concept Videos
Cryptococcal Meningitis
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Bone Marrow Sampling and Transplants
The transplant begins with high doses of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which aim to destroy the...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...