Given the increasing proportion of patients having renal failure at the time of transplant, with the nephrotoxic effect of calcineurin inhibitor based immunosuppression associated with its long term negative survival impact, this study proposes to examine the renal sparing impact of conversion to everolimus from a calcineurin inhibitor based immunosuppressive protocol at 3 months post liver transplant. The 3 month time point was chosen to allow for the switch to everolimus to occur at a period of stable post transplant liver function when both technical and rejection risks are lower. The 3 month cut off was also chosen because of data indicating that worsening renal function at 4 weeks, 3 months and 1 year post transplant is an independent risk factor for the development of chronic renal failure and end stage renal disease after orthotopic liver transplantation. 24 patients will be randomized into 2 arms:~Arm A: Conversion to Everolimus immunosuppression combined with mycophenolic acid (Myfortic: MPA), and complete discontinuation of Calcineurin inhibitor at 3 months post transplant.~Arm B: Continuation with standard immunosuppressive therapy consisting of Calcineurin inhibitor associated with mycophenolic acid (Myfortic: MPA).~Follow up: 2 years.
This study will examine the renal sparing impact of implementing a strategy of conversion to everolimus from a calcineurin inhibitor based immunosuppressive protocol at 3 months post liver transplant