TY - JOUR
T1 - Invasive fungal infections in liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus as the primary immunosuppressive agent
AU - Singh, Nina
AU - Gayowski, Timothy
AU - Wagener, Marilyn M.
AU - Doyle, Howard
AU - Marino, Ignazio R.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Invasive fungal infections and their risk factors were prospectively assessed in 130 consecutive liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus as the primary immunosuppressive agent. Eleven percent (14) of the 130 patients had 17 episodes of invasive fungal infections. These included candidiasis (5%; 6 patients), cryptococcosis (5%; 6), aspergillosis (3%; 4), and chromomycosis (1%; 1). An elevated pretransplantation creatinine level, requirement of dialysis (pretransplantation or posttransplantation), duration of intensive care unit stay after transplantation surgery, and antibiotic use (other than for prophylaxis) within 4 weeks of transplantation were significant risk factors for fungal infections occurring within 100 days of transplantation. For fungal infections occurring after 100 days, persistence of renal dysfunction (serum creatinine level of >2.5 mg/dL at 3 months), dialysis, and histopathologically documented recurrence of hepatitis C virus hepatitis were significant risk factors. Mortality was significantly higher among patients with fungal infections than among all other patients (57% vs. 15%; P = .0009). Our study identified specific risk factors for invasive fungal infections in liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus; strategies to prevent fungal infections or to initiate early antifungal therapy might be most effectively targeted at these patients.
AB - Invasive fungal infections and their risk factors were prospectively assessed in 130 consecutive liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus as the primary immunosuppressive agent. Eleven percent (14) of the 130 patients had 17 episodes of invasive fungal infections. These included candidiasis (5%; 6 patients), cryptococcosis (5%; 6), aspergillosis (3%; 4), and chromomycosis (1%; 1). An elevated pretransplantation creatinine level, requirement of dialysis (pretransplantation or posttransplantation), duration of intensive care unit stay after transplantation surgery, and antibiotic use (other than for prophylaxis) within 4 weeks of transplantation were significant risk factors for fungal infections occurring within 100 days of transplantation. For fungal infections occurring after 100 days, persistence of renal dysfunction (serum creatinine level of >2.5 mg/dL at 3 months), dialysis, and histopathologically documented recurrence of hepatitis C virus hepatitis were significant risk factors. Mortality was significantly higher among patients with fungal infections than among all other patients (57% vs. 15%; P = .0009). Our study identified specific risk factors for invasive fungal infections in liver transplant recipients receiving tacrolimus; strategies to prevent fungal infections or to initiate early antifungal therapy might be most effectively targeted at these patients.
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U2 - 10.1093/clinids/24.2.179
DO - 10.1093/clinids/24.2.179
M3 - Article
C2 - 9114144
AN - SCOPUS:0031043279
SN - 1058-4838
VL - 24
SP - 179
EP - 184
JO - Clinical Infectious Diseases
JF - Clinical Infectious Diseases
IS - 2
ER -