Impaired kidney allograft function following ezetimibe therapy

Although ezetimibe therapy has been shown to be effective in lowering serum cholesterol level, it has not been reported to affect serum cyclosporine level in transplant recipients. Here, we describe a kidney transplant recipient who experienced acute kidney allograft dysfunction after ezetimibe prescription. Our patient showed an increase in serum creatinine level as well as a decrease in serum cyclosporine levels 1 month after taking ezetimibe. This suggests that ezetimibe may interact with cyclosporine and decrease its serum level resulting in allograft dysfunction. In this regard, careful monitoring of kidney function along with the serum cyclosporine level in kidney allograft recipients is recommended when cyclosporine is co-administered with ezetimibe

Bone mineral density in kidney transplant recipients and patients on hemodialysis. A comparison with healthy individuals

We measured bone mineral density [BMD] before and after transplantation to determine the frequency and severity of preoperative and postoperative osteoporosis and compare them with the BMD in healthy individuals. We determined the BMD at the lumbar spine and femoral levels in 22 men and 18 women who were on long-term dialysis in Yazd, Iran, and a group of kidney transplant recipients including 43 men and 18 women. They were compared with each other and healthy individuals studied in a recent study in Iran. Factors potentially associated with alterations of the BMD were studied in each group. The frequency of osteoporosis in the vertebrae and femoral neck was higher in the kidney transplant recipients than the healthy population [21.3% versus 4.9%; P = .001; odds ratio, 5 and 9.8% versus 2.4%; P = .02; odds ratio, 5.4, respectively] but not significantly different from those in the patients on dialysis [17.9% and 17.5%, respectively]. In transplantation group, multivariate analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between the lumbar BMD and the cumulative prednisolone dose [r = -0.36, P = .003]. No correlation was found between BMD of lumbar or femoral neck and the body mass index, age, and cumulative cyclosporine level. Osteoporosis is more frequent in patients on dialysis and kidney transplant recipient than in general population. However, there is no difference in osteoporosis frequency between transplanted patients and those on dialysis. In the lumbar spine, a higher cumulative prednisolone dose results in decreased BMD among kidney transplant recipients