Hypocholesterolemia is not associated with neurotoxicity in renal transplant patients

Cyclosporine-associated neurotoxicity has been reported in recipients of solid organ and bone marrow transplantation. Neurotoxicity during cyclosporine therapy has been suggested to be associated with low levels of serum total cholesterol (TC). We report seven hypocholesterolemic (TC < 150 mg/dl) renal transplant recipients who remained asymptomatic during cyclosporine therapy. Three of these patients were hypocholesterolemic at the time of transplantation and received intravenous cyclosporine as induction therapy. The other four patients became hypocholesterolemic > or = 9 months after renal-transplantation. None of these patients developed neurologic signs or symptoms during cyclosporine therapy. Our short and long-term observations in renal transplant recipients suggest that perhaps factors other than low cholesterol levels may be responsible for cyclosporine-associated neurotoxicity.