Experience with FK506 in living-related liver transplantation

The new immunosuppressive agent FK506 was used with steroids to treat 22 pediatric patients who received living-related partial liver transplantation. Seventeen recipients survived and 5 died between one and 16 months after transplantation. Three of the 5 patients who died had required intensive care preoperatively. Autopsy findings showed no evidence of rejection. There was no episode of rejection that required retransplantation in any of the patients. Liver allograft dysfunction, which was suspected to be a rejection response, was encountered in 2 recipients with ABO-nonidentical but compatible grafts. However, their clinical and biochemical findings were ameliorated upon steroid pulse therapy or upon augmented FK506 administration without additional potent immunosuppressive agents. Steroid treatment has been discontinued in all surviving patients at 1-9 months after transplantation. Infectious complications encountered in 9 patients included 2 bacterial, 5 viral, and 2 fungal infections. One recipient died of fungal pneumonia. Abnormal increase of serum creatinine level was confined to the complicated patients. Hypertension was a temporary adverse reaction in the early postoperative period, and only one patient needed an antihypertensive drug at 2 months after transplantation. Acute pancreatitis with hyperamylasemia was observed in one patient who was treated successfully with reduction of FK506 administration. Tremor was observed in 8 patients, itching in 4, insomnia in 2, and vomiting in one. Hirsutism, gingival hypertrophy, and lymphoma were not observed. FK506 was highly effective in living-related partial liver transplantation not only in terms of immunosuppressive potential but also because it produced fewer adverse effects.