Advances in transplantation and immunosuppression

This report presents highlights from four sections of the 17th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Transplant Physicians (Chicago; May 9-13, 1998): immunosuppressive drugs; immunosuppressive protocols; basic immunology; and areas of clinical interest. Studies were presented on the immunosuppressive effects of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, sirolimus and analogues, daclizumab and basiliximab, among other compounds. Regarding immunosuppressive protocols, many studies focused on the need for steroid withdrawal a short period after renal transplantation; other subjects discussed were the avoidance of nephrotoxic drugs and the avoidance of acute graft rejection. The section on basic immunology covered transforming growth factor-beta chemotaxis, adhesion molecules and co-stimulation. Hepatitis C virus continues to be an area of current clinical interest, as is the problem of chronic rejection. Finally, lipids and statins were accorded great relevance at this meeting.