Correlation of serum cyclosporine concentration with renal dysfunction in marrow transplant recipients

We retrospectively analyzed the relationship of serum cyclosporine concentration to renal dysfunction in 63 marrow transplant recipients who received cyclosporine for prophylaxis of acute graft-versus-host disease. Patients were divided into three groups according to their mean trough cyclosporine concentration for the first 28 days of therapy: less than 150, 150-250, and greater than 250 ng/ml. Baseline renal function and exposure to nephrotoxic antibiotics was comparable in the three groups. Renal dysfunction was defined as doubling of baseline serum creatinine. The likelihood of developing renal dysfunction was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier product limit estimates. The log-rank test was used to compare the three groups. Fifty-four (86%) of the patients developed renal dysfunction. The incidence of renal dysfunction was 73%, 95%, and 100%, and it developed at a median of 46, 29, and 20 days in patients with a mean trough concentration of less than 150, 150-250, and greater than 250 ng/ml, respectively (P less than 0.001). Eight of the nine patients who did not develop renal dysfunction had a mean trough concentration of less than 150 ng/ml. These data indicate that the incidence and the rate of development of renal dysfunction are related to serum cyclosporine concentration.