Post-Transplantation Proteinuria and Sirolimus

Abstract
Proteinuria may develop in renal-transplant recipients who have converted from treatment with calcineurin inhibitors to treatment with sirolimus1; the mechanism of this occurrence is unknown. We hypothesized that the antiangiogenic properties of sirolimus might be responsible. We determined the plasma concentrations and renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a specimen from a renal-allograft biopsy performed to evaluate post-transplantation proteinuria during sirolimus conversion in a patient with Kaposi's syndrome.