Objectives: To find the significance of CD4 T-cell adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in elderly renal recipients in correlation with drug doses, levels, and clinical parameters.
Methods: Drug doses and levels, CD4 T-cell ATP level (162 sequential samples), and other clinical data were collected and assessed among 31 elderly renal recipients who underwent transplantations from November 2007 to March 2011.
Results: Among subjects with stable clinical status, the main ATP levels pretransplantation were not significantly different from those posttransplantation: 302.4 ± 97.5 ng/mL versus 288.8 ± 102.6 ng/mL (P > .05). There was no relationship between ATP levels and tacrolimus concentrations or doses. In 12 patients experiencing infection, the ATP levels were significantly lower then those of subjects showing a stable clinical status: 127.3 ± 92.8 versus 288.8 ± 102.6 ng/mL (P < .01). Six patients with biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes did not show significantly higher ATP levels compared with those who were clinically stable: 26.2 ± 224.8 versus 288.8 ± 102.6 (P > .05).
Conclusions: CD4 T-cell ATP levels were valuable to monitor immunosuppression among elderly renal transplant recipients.
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