High tacrolimus intra-patient variability is associated with graft rejection, and de novo donor-specific antibodies occurrence after liver transplantation

Table 1 Characteristics of the liver-transplant recipients

Variable	n = 116
Donors’ age at transplantation, yr (range)	53 (9-85)
Recipients’ age at transplantation, yr (range)	57 (18-72)
Recipients’ gender: male, n (%)	96 (83)
Initial liver disease, n (%)
Alcohol	49 (43)
Viral (HCV, HBV)	36 (31)
Autoimmune disease (AIH, PSC, PBC)	13 (11)
Other1	18 (17)
Median MELD score at transplantation (range) (%)	22 (6-40)
Positive HCV RNA at transplantation, n (%)	21 (18)
Re-transplantation, yes (%)	3 (3)
Induction therapy, yes: n (%)	87 (75)
Polyclonal antibodies, n (%)	9 (8)
Interleukin-2 receptor blocker, n (%)	78 (67)
Conversion during the follow-up from twice-daily to once daily tacrolimus, n (%)	42 (36)
Number of patients receiving tacrolimus once daily, n (%)	5 (4)
At discharge
Month 1	8 (7)
Month 3	9 (8)
Month 6	12 (10)
Month 9	18 (16)
Month 12	26 (31)
Month 18	39 (34)
Month 24	47 (41)
Tacrolimus trough level (ng/mL)	7.6 ± 3
At discharge
Month 1	8 ± 3
Month 3	8.4 ± 3
Month 6	8.4 ± 3
Month 9	7.4 ± 3
Month 12	7.8 ± 3
Month 18	7.5 ± 2
Month 24	6.9 ± 3
Mycophenolate mofetil dose (mg/d)	1700 ± 600
At discharge
Month 3	1250 ± 550
Month 6	1100 ± 450
Month 12	1000 ± 300
Month 24	1000 ± 300
Steroids (mg/d)
At discharge: Yes (%)	116 (100)
Dose (mg/d)	20 ± 12
Month 3: Yes (%)	114 (98)
Dose (mg/d)	8 ± 4
Month 6: Yes (%)	110 (95)
Dose (mg/d)	7 ± 5
Month 12: Yes (%)	104 (90)
Dose (mg/d)	6 ± 6
Month 24: Yes (%)	97 (84)
Dose (mg/d)	5 ± 2

¹Polycystic disease (n = 7), NASH syndrome (n = 4), Wilson disease (n = 2), bile duct atrophia (n = 1), drug intoxication (n = 2), and cryptogenic cirrhosis (n = 1). HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; AIH: Auto-immune hepatitis; PSC: Primary sclerosing cholangitis; PBC: Primary biliary cirrhosis.