The experimental immunosuppressive drug FK 506 was given to 36 renal transplant recipients, many of whom were highly sensitized. Ten were undergoing kidney retransplantation, 10 also underwent liver transplantation at an earlier time (6 patients) or concomitantly (4 patients), and 2 patients received a third organ (heart or pancreas) in addition to a liver and kidney. With follow-ups of 4 to 13...

Small intestine allotransplantation in humans is not yet feasible due to the failure of the current methods of immunosuppression. FK-506, a powerful new immunosuppressive agent that is synergistic with cyclosporine, allows long-term survival of recipients of cardiac, renal, and hepatic allografts. This study compares the effects of FK-506 and cyclosporine on host survival, graft rejection, and ...

Seven patients with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome were treated with FK 506 monotherapy. Four patients were children with focal sclerosing glomerulonephritis (FSGS). Three of these had evidence for chronic progressive renal disease consisting of interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy on pretreatment renal biopsies. Two patients had also failed cyclosporin A (CsA), two cyclophosphamide,...

N EPHROTIC syndrome is a broad group of disorders with diverse etiologies. In common. all have proteinuria. edema. hypercholesterolemia. and hypoalbuminemia. Steroids have proven effective in some histologic groups. but many are resistant to steroids and progress to end-stage renal disease. Transplant glomerulopathy and chronic rejection also contribute heavily to renal transplant-related nephr...

N EPHROTIC syndrome developing after renal trans-plantation has many etiologies. Recurrent focal scle-rosing glomerulonephritis is' ane of the leading causes.! Other etiologies include: (1) transplant glomerulopathy; (2) chronic rejection; (3) de novo membranous glomerulone-phritis (ON); and (4) other recurrent glomerulonephropa-thies (membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis [MPGN] , systemic ...

FK 506 is a superior immunosuppressive agent that should improve the grafting of organs that already are part of our every day transplant practices, as well as those which are presently impractical. Immune intervention for serious autoimmune diseases also should be a more attractive option with this drug. Lessons are still being learned about dosage and what determines safe dose schedules. At a...

CYCLOSPORINE (CyA) has been shown to be effective in a variety of human autoimmune diseases. including psoriasis, nephrotic syndrome, type I diabetes, and sight-threatening uveitis. 1 Its potential side effects include nephrotoxicity, diabetogenicity, and neurotoxicity. Several studies (see elsewhere in this symposium) have shown that FK 506 prevents or suppresses autoimmune disorders in experi...