[Cholestasis after renal transplantation and immune-suppressive therapy (author's transl)]

A 39 year old female patient developed jaundice 16 months after having received a renal transplant. Intrahepatic cholestasis was diagnosed on the basis of serum enzyme concentration patterns and of histology of a liver biopsy specimen; it was thought to be due to immune-suppressive therapy. Azathioprine was stopped and the hepatic situation normalized within 5 months. HBs-infection was present at the same time, so it is being discussed, if this condition may have influenced the development of intrahepatic cholestasis as well. It has to concluded from this case report, that liver function of patients with renal transplants receiving azathioprine has to be controlled regularly. Stopping azathioprine may induce normalization of even severely damaged liver function without influencing the function of the renal transplant.