Effect of Mycophenolate Mofetil on Plasma Bioelements in Renal Transplant Recipients

The proper concentrations of plasma bioelements may favorably reduce the incidence of metabolic disorders, which often occur during immunosuppressive therapy. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is currently one of the most frequently administered immunosuppressive agents; however, MMF treatment is often related to gastrointestinal side effects. The aim of this study was thus to verify whether the MMF treatment itself, or its metabolite pharmacokinetics, has an effect on the concentrations of plasma bioelements. To determine this, the effect of MMF on the levels of both major (sodium [Na], potassium [K], calcium [Ca], magnesium [Mg]), and trace (iron [Fe], zinc [Zn], copper [Cu]) plasma bioelements in 61 renal transplant recipients was assessed in comparison to a control group (n = 45). The pharmacokinetic parameters of mycophenolic acid were determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography method. All patients filled out a 24-h diet history questionnaire. The results showed high plasma concentrations of Fe and low plasma concentrations of Mg and Zn as compared with diagnostic norms. The patients treated with MMF had significantly lower plasma Na (P < 0.001) and significantly higher plasma Zn (P = 0.030) and Cu concentrations (P < 0.001). In conclusion, MMF treatment was found to affect plasma Fe, Zn, and Cu levels by increasing their concentrations while decreasing the plasma Na concentration. Mg and Zn deficiencies, as well as excessive Fe levels, are frequently observed irrespective of the immunosuppressive regimen applied, which suggests that monitoring of these bioelements may be favorable

Mycophenolic Acid Exposure after Administration of Mycophenolate Mofetil in the Presence and Absence of Ciclosporin in Renal Transplant Recipients

Background and objective: The pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) are complex, with large interindividual variability over time. There are also well documented interactions with ciclosporin, and assessment of MPA exposure is therefore necessary when reducing or stopping ciclosporin therapy. Here we report on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behaviour of MPA in renal transplant patients on standard dose, reduced dose and no ciclosporin. Study design: The CAESAR study, a prospective 12-month study in primary renal allograft recipients, was designed to determine whether mycophenolate mofetil-based regimens containing either low-dose ciclosporin or low-dose ciclosporin withdrawn by 6 months could minimize nephrotoxicity and improve renal function without an increase in acute rejection compared with a mycophenolate mofetil-based regimen containing standard-dose ciclosporin. Patients and methods: A subset of patients from the CAESAR study contributed to this pharmacokinetic analysis of MPA exposure. Blood samples were taken over one dosing interval on day 7 and at months 3, 7 and 12 post-transplantation. The sampling timepoints were predose, 20, 40 and 75 minutes and 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 12 hours after mycophenolate mofetil dosing. Assessments included plasma concentrations of MPA and mycophenolic acid glucuronide (MPAG) and ciclosporin trough concentrations. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from 0 to 12 hours (AUC(12)) for MPA was the primary pharmacokinetic parameter, and the AUC12 for MPAG was the secondary parameter. Results: In total, 536 de novo renal allograft recipients were randomized in the CAESAR study. Of these, 114 patients were entered into the pharmacokinetic substudy and 110 patients contributed to the pharmacokinetic analysis. There was a rapid rise in MPA concentrations (median time to peak concentration 0.72-1.25 hours). At day 7 and month 3, the MPA AUC12 values were similar in the ciclosporin withdrawal and low-dose ciclosporin groups (patients with the same ciclosporin target concentrations to month 6), while at 7 and 12 months, the values in the ciclosporin withdrawal group were higher than in the low-dose group (19.9% and 30.2% higher, respectively). MPA AUC12 values in the standard-dose ciclosporin group were lower than in the other groups at all timepoints and increased over time. At all timepoints, the MPA peak plasma concentration was similar in all groups, and the MPAG concentrations rose more slowly than MPA concentrations. The ratio of the AUC from 6 to 12 hours/AUC(12) suggests that an increasing AUC in the ciclosporin withdrawal group is due to an increase in the enterohepatic recirculation. Conclusion: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ciclosporin inhibits the biliary secretion and/or hepatic extraction of MPAG, leading to a reduced rate of enterohepatic recirculation of MPA. Several concurrent mechanisms, such as ciclosporin-induced changes in renal tubular MPAG excretion and enhanced elimination of free MPA through competitive albumin binding with MPAG, can also contribute to the altered MPAG pharmacokinetics observed in the presence and absence of ciclosporin

Comparison of mycophenolate mofetil and azathioprine for prevention of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in de novo lung transplant recipients.

There are no data on the effects of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on the incidence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) in lung-transplant patients. This study attempted to determine whether MMF reduces the incidence of BOS in de novo lung transplant recipients compared with azathioprine (AZA).Comparative StudyJournal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate mofetil in renal transplant recipients receiving standard-dose or low-dose cyclosporine, low-dose tacrolimus or low-dose sirolimus: the Symphony pharmacokinetic substudy

Methods. A 3-month pharmacokinetic substudy of the prospective, randomized, multicentre, open-label Symphony study was performed. Eighty-three adult renal transplant patients received standard-dose cyclosporine, MMF 2 g/day and corticosteroids, or daclizumab induction, MMF 2 g/day and corticosteroids plus low-dose cyclosporine, low-dose tacrolimus or low-dose sirolimus. The area under the concentration-time curve (AUC(0-12)) of MPA and its metabolites between treatment groups was compared. Pharmacokinetic sampling was performed before MMF administration and at 20, 40, 75 min; 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 and 12 h post-dose on Day 7 and Months 1 and 3. Results. Compared with standard-dose cyclosporine, patients receiving low-dose tacrolimus or low-dose sirolimus had significantly higher AUC(0-12) values for MPA at Day 7 and Month 1 and for free MPA at Day 7, and significantly lower AUC(0-12) values for 7-O-MPA-glucuronide (MPAG) at Month 1 and for acyl-glucuronide at Months 1 and 3 (P < 0.05). AUC(0-12) of MPA and free MPA was significantly greater with low-dose tacrolimus and low-dose sirolimus than with low-dose cyclosporine in the first month (P < 0.05). The ratio of MPA to MPAG exposure was significantly higher in the three low-dose groups than in the standard-dose cyclosporine group (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Standard- and low-dose cyclosporine reduces the exposure of MPA and free MPA compared to low-dose tacrolimus or low-dose sirolimus in patients given the same dose of MMF