Combination immunosuppressant therapy

Czech version

Authors: L. Špinarová; J. Vítovec
Authors‘ workplace: I. interní kardioangiologická klinika LF MU a FN u sv. Anny v Brně
Published in: Kardiol Rev Int Med 2014, 16(6): 472-474
Category: Cardiology Review

Overview

In recent years heart transplantation has become an established treatment method for patients with severe heart failure. This treatment involves life-long immunosuppressant therapy with a combination of drugs. Classical immunosuppression is achieved with cyclosporine or tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids. In the last few years, new regimes of immunosuppressive drugs have been used in post-heart transplant patients suffering from renal dysfunction or allograft vasculopathy: a combination of low doses of calcineurin inhibitors with low doses of mTOR inhibitors or calcineurin-free regimes, which are not so nephrotoxic. There has been an effort to withdraw corticosteroids from all regimes after the first year and to have life-long therapy based on a combination of two drugs. Combination therapy is tailored according to the patient’s comorbidities.

Keywords:
immunosuppression – heart transplantation – combination therapy

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