Chronic allograft nephropathy and mycophenolate mofetil introduction in paediatric renal recipients

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) introduction with concurrent reduction in calcineurin inhibitors has been shown to be beneficial in chronic allograft nephropathy ( CAN) in adults. MMF was introduced to 19 children with CAN 26.3+/-5.8 ( range 3.1 - 82.6) months after transplantation. Patients were followed up for a mean of 13.2+/-2.9 ( range 1.2 - 51.1) months. The mean initial MMF dose was 660+/-56 mg/m(2) per day, increased to 1,042+/-73 mg/m(2) per day a year later. Cyclosporin was reduced from 138+/-10 mg/m(2) per day at MMF introduction, to 116+/-15 mg/m(2) per day at 6 months and 107+/-24 mg/m(2) per day at 1 year. Six months prior to MMF introduction GFR deteriorated by - 32.7+/-7.3 ml/ min per 1.73m(2) per year. Six months after the introduction of MMF, GFR improved by + 26.2+/-7.1 ml/ min per 1.73m2 per year ( P < 0.001). The introduction of MMF significantly reduced both the graft rejection rate ( P= 0.01) and systolic blood pressure ( P= 0.01), without a significant change in antihypertensive treatment. Haematological parameters did not significantly differ before and after MMF introduction. The introduction of MMF in paediatric renal transplant recipients with CAN may cause a significant improvement in GFR in both the short-term and the long-term and may well have a beneficial effect on systolic blood pressure. MMF has the potential to enable CNI-sparing protocols to be adopted.