Impact of Immunosuppressive Medications on Chronic Rhinosinusitis and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery in Transplant...

To examine the impact of immunosuppressive regimens on chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) development in kidney and liver transplant recipients.

Retrospective cohort study.

Multisite study across Mayo Clinic Enterprise locations in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Patients who underwent kidney or liver transplantation between November 1, 2021, and November 1, 2022, were included. Patients with documented sinonasal complaints before transplantation were excluded. Diagnoses were based on ICD-10 codes assigned by board-certified otolaryngologists, with follow-up extending through November 2024. Demographic data, relevant comorbidities, CRS diagnoses, and immunosuppressive regimens were collected.

In total, 1459 transplant recipients (986 kidney, 473 liver) with a mean age of 55.1 years and M:F ratio of 1.5:1 were included. Kidney recipients who received anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG, Thymoglobulin®) for immunosuppressive induction had a greater risk of CRS compared to those who did not (odds ratio [OR] = 3.0, 95% CI [1.3, 6.9], P = .005). Among liver recipients, patients on cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), and corticosteroids had a greater risk of CRS compared to those on tacrolimus-based regimens (OR = 6.0, 95% CI [1.5, 24.1], P = .027). Cyclosporine use was also associated with an increased rate of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) compared to tacrolimus (4.2% vs 0.3%, P = .015).

Tacrolimus-based regimens are associated with significantly decreased rates of CRS compared to cyclosporine, suggesting that immunosuppressive choice is a modifiable risk factor for sinonasal morbidity in this population.