Serial monitoring of immunologic function and phenotype of lymphocytes in the blood of transplanted patients randomized to cyclosporine or FK 506.

EFFECTS of the drugs FK 506 and CyA on lymphocyte function have been mostly studied in vitro and in vivo in animal models. 1-5 Little information is available about changes in the immune system of patients who, having undergone orthotopic liver transplantation (OL T), are treated with immunosuppressive drugs. To evaluate cellular immunity of patients treated for prolonged periods with FK 506 or CyA, serial immunologic monitoring was performed in liver transplant recipients. The purpose of this monitoring was to compare long-term effects of Cy A and FK 506 on immunologic function and absolute numbers of circulating lymphocyte subsets in liver transplant recipients, to determine if these drugs had similar or different immunosuppressive effects in vivo.