Liver transplantation under cyclosporine: a decade of experience.

Abstract

A s we entered the decade of the 1980s.liver transplan- tation was not a therapeutic option considered for many patients with end stage liver disease.Although limited success had been achieved in a few centers with immunosuppression based on azathioprine.steroids.and polyclonal antibody preparations.patient survival rates were approximately 35~ at I year and less than ~ at 5 years.By the end of the decade a remarkable change had taken place.and transplantation is now the therapeutic option of choice for many patients with irreversible end stage liver disease.We here review our experience over most of the last decade with liver transplantation under cyclosporine prednisone induction and maintenance therpy at the University of Pittsburgh.