Patient characteristics and outcomes
A total of 2032 recipients were
included in this study. 1687 recipients received a protocol of IS all
the time after pediatric LT and did not switch IS drugs. 345 recipients
switched IS drugs midway after pediatric LT under the guidance of
clinicians. The demographics and clinical characteristics of patients
with switching IS drugs and patients without switching IS drugs are
shown in Table 2. There were significant differences in recipient CYP
type (p<0.001), cholangitis before LT (p=0.029), serum albumin
(p=0.044), surgical type (p=0.018), graft volume reduction in the
operation (p=0.008), kinds of IS drugs (p<0.001), addition of
MMF (p<0.001), donor CYP type (p<0.001), and donor
age at LT (p=0.021) between the two groups. Patients in switching IS
drugs group had a higher rate of acute rejection in 3 months after LT, a
higher rate of developing mental, neurological, and urinary
complications after LT but a lower mortality rate and a lower rate of
developing portal vein complications and post-transplant
lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) than patients in no switching IS
drugs group (Table 3).