Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) in Chinese living-donor kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: Twenty-eight cases of living donor kidney transplant recipients from five centers were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Maintenance immunosuppressive therapy was EC-MPS and calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) plus corticosteroids. The study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. The patients were followed up for 24 months. Biopsy-proven acute rejection (BPAR), patient / graft survival and adverse events were observed.

Results: All patients completed the follow-up. The patient and graft survival rates were both 100%, respectively. No biopsy-proven acute rejection was observed. The gastrointestinal adverse effects were assessed by using Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) and the scores were 0 at 12, 15 and 21 months post-transplant, respectively. The scores were 0.1 ± 0.64 at 18 months and 0.0 ± 0.19 at 24 months. The medication adherence categories of ‘excellent’ and ‘good’ were 74.1% and 25.9% at 22-24 months, respectively. As to complete blood cell counts, one patient had significantly abnormal white blood cell counts and another had abnormal absolute neutrophil count at the visit of 24 months, respectively. No significantly abnormal variables of complete blood cell counts were found at other visits.

Conclusion: The triple therapy with EC-MPS and CNI plus corticosteroids for living-donor kidney transplant recipients has favorable clinical outcomes in a moderately long term. The combination regimen also demonstrated good gastrointestinal tolerance according to GSRS, which may contribute to good medication adherence.

Author Disclosure: The authors have declared no conflict of interest.