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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Quantification of the Immunosuppressant Tacrolimus on Dried Blood Spots Using LC-MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2015
Pharmacogenetic-based strategy using de novo tacrolimus once daily after kidney transplantation: prospective pilot
Martine De Meyer1, Vincent Haufroid2,3, Nada Kanaan4
1Department of Surgery, Surgery & Abdominal Transplantation Division, Université catholique de Louvain, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Aim:
The once daily tacrolimus formulation (Tac-OD) has been associated with better patient adherence and low variability in exposure. Patients carrying the CYP3A5*1 allele show accelerated clearance of Tac. Authors prospectively evaluate a simplified strategy for Tac-OD administration.
Patients & Methods:
After grafting, 151 patients were divided into four groups and received a daily dose calculated according to CYP3A5 genotypes and unchanged for the first 3 days: CYP3A5*3/*3: 0.20 mg/kg/day, CYP3A5*3/*3: 0.25 mg/kg/day, CYP3A5*1/*3: 0.30 mg/kg/day and CYP3A5*1/*1: 0.35 mg/kg/day. The dose was adaptated on day 4 and remained unchanged a further three days and so on.
Results:
On day 3, median Cmin fell within the therapeutic range in all study groups. CYP3A5 expressors require significantly higher Tac-OD throughout the follow-up period to achieve a comparable Cmin.
Conclusion:
This simplified strategy does not hamper treatment efficacy.
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