Blood cyclosporin concentrations and the short‐term risk of lung rejection following heart‐lung transplantation.

1. The relationship between blood cyclosporin concentration (CyACb) and a patient's risk of organ rejection following heart‐lung (HL) transplantation was investigated. 2. Longitudinal data were collected for 90 days post‐operation for 31 HL transplant recipients. Following exploratory analysis, a multiple logistic regression model with a binary outcome variable representing presence or absence of lung rejection (as defined on biopsy findings and/or intention to treat) in the next 5 days was fitted to the data. 3. A significant interaction between time post‐transplant and CyACb was found. During weeks 1‐3, the relative risk (RR) of rejection per unit increase in log(e) (5‐day mean CyACb) was reduced: RR = 0.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.12, 0.72). After 3 post‐operative weeks, this trend was reversed: RR = 1.61, 95% CI = (0.96, 2.70). Increases in cyclosporin dose (CyAD) and in coefficient of variation (CV) for both CyAD and CyACb over the previous 10 days significantly increased the risk of rejection: RR per unit increase in log(e) (5‐day mean CyAD) = 2.72, 95% CI = (1.18, 6.25); RR per increase of 10% (i.e. from, say, 20% to 30%) in the CV for CyAD = 1.20, 95% CI = (1.07, 1.36); RR if the CV for CyACb > 40% = 1.51, 95% CI = (1.01, 2.27). Administration of high dose steroids in the previous 5 days was found to protect against further rejection: RR if steroid treatment was given = 0.23, 95% CI = (0.13, 0.38).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)