Clinical Implications of Tacrolimus Time in Therapeutic Range and Intrapatient Variability in Urban Renal Transplant Recipients Undergoing Early Corticosteroid Withdrawal

Abstract

Background. Tacrolimus demonstrates wide intrapatient and interpatient variability requiring therapeutic drug monitoring. The utility of tacrolimus time in therapeutic range (TTR) after renal transplantation (RT) under an early corticosteroid withdrawal (ECSWD) protocol is unknown. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of tacrolimus TTR in an ECSWD RT population. Materials. A retrospective analysis of adult RT recipients maintained on tacrolimus was conducted. Patients were excluded if they were on nonstandard protocol immunosuppression agents 0.05). Conclusions. Tacrolimus TTR was not significantly different with regards to acute rejection in an ECSWD population. Future studies are still needed to determine tacrolimus TTR thresholds post-RT and identify populations that may benefit from this intrapatient variability monitoring parameter.