Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025
08:38
Quantification of the Immunosuppressant Tacrolimus on Dried Blood Spots Using LC-MS/MS
Published on: November 8, 2015
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Reversible Tacrolimus-Induced Dilated Hypokinetic Cardiomyopathy
Gianluca Di Pietro1, Gianluca Mennini2, Antonella Ciuffreda1
1Department of Clinical, Internal, Anesthesiological and Cardiovascular Science, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
JACC. Case Reports
|August 1, 2025
Summary
Tacrolimus, a common immunosuppressant, can rarely cause reversible heart failure. This report details two cases of dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy developing shortly after starting tacrolimus therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Immunology
Background:
- Calcineurin inhibitors are standard immunosuppressive agents.
- Tacrolimus is a widely used calcineurin inhibitor.
- Rare instances of tacrolimus-induced heart failure exist in literature.
Observation:
- Two patients developed heart failure early after initiating tacrolimus.
- The observed heart condition was dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy.
- The cardiomyopathy was reversible.
Findings:
- Tacrolimus can induce reversible dilated hypokinetic cardiomyopathy.
- Cardiomyopathy occurred early in the course of tacrolimus treatment.
- This highlights a potential adverse effect of tacrolimus.
Implications:
- Clinicians should be aware of tacrolimus-induced cardiomyopathy.
- Early recognition and potential drug withdrawal may reverse cardiac dysfunction.
- This contributes to understanding the cardiotoxicity of immunosuppressive agents.
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