Effect of nifedipine on renal function in liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus

The effect of nifedipine on renal function in liver transplant recipients who were receiving tacrolimus was evaluated between January 1992 and January 1996. Two groups of patients receiving tacrolimus were compared over a period of 1 year, one group comprising hypertensive patients who were receiving nifedipine, and the other comprising nonhypertensive patients not receiving nifedipine. The time from transplant to baseline was similar in all patients. Nifedipine significantly improved kidney function as indicated by a significant lowering of serum creatinine levels at 6 and 12 months. The observed positive impact of nifedipine on reducing the nephrotoxicity associated with tacrolimus in liver transplant recipients should be an important factor in selecting an agent to treat hypertension in this population.