Abstract
Acute rejection of kidney allografts during the first months following transplantation is one of the most important risk factor for long-term graft failure. Some small open studies have indicated that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-Co-A), statins, might act as immunosuppressive agents, and reduce acute rejection rates. Moreover, the use of statin in transplant recipients is quite common, despite no data from prospective large multi-centre studies are available to demonstrate any beneficial effect for acute rejections or long-term cardiovascular protection in this population. In this overview, recent clinical and experimental data will be provided for assessing statins as immunosuppressive agents. Although in vitro studies have provided a theoretical basis for the use of statins as immunosuppressive agents, more recent clinical placebo controlled studies have failed to confirm the initial optimism of this effect of statins.
MeSH terms
-
Acute Disease
-
Animals
-
Anticholesteremic Agents / adverse effects
-
Anticholesteremic Agents / pharmacology
-
Anticholesteremic Agents / therapeutic use
-
Cholesterol, LDL / blood
-
Clinical Trials as Topic
-
Cyclosporine / pharmacology
-
Cyclosporine / therapeutic use
-
Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
-
Drug Interactions
-
Graft Rejection / drug therapy*
-
Humans
-
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / adverse effects
-
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / pharmacology
-
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
-
Hypercholesterolemia / drug therapy
-
Immunosuppressive Agents / adverse effects
-
Immunosuppressive Agents / pharmacology
-
Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
-
Kidney Transplantation*
-
Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects
-
Naphthalenes / adverse effects
-
Naphthalenes / pharmacology
-
Naphthalenes / therapeutic use*
-
Postoperative Complications / drug therapy
-
Protein Prenylation / drug effects
-
Protein Processing, Post-Translational / drug effects
Substances
-
Anticholesteremic Agents
-
Cholesterol, LDL
-
Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
-
Immunosuppressive Agents
-
Naphthalenes
-
Cyclosporine