In 99 renal allograft recipients with insudative vasculopathy of graft, mean serum cholesterol levels, prevalence of subjects with hypercholesterolaemia, mean cumulative doses of methylprednisolone, prevalence of subjects with methylprednisolone doses > or = 6,000 mg and prevalence of patients with hypertension, all in the period between transplantation and the first diagnostic biopsy, were compared between 51 those with conventional and 48 with cyclosporine maintenance immunosuppression. In subjects treated with cyclosporine the lesion was found in biopsies performed sooner and was present more frequently, prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and of hypertension was similar and that of subjects with both hypercholesterolaemia and hypertension lower than in subjects treated with azathioprine. A positive correlation was present between high doses of methylprednisolone and prevalence of hypertension, regardless of the type of immunosuppression and of severity of vasculopathy. In etiopathogenesis of insudative vasculopathy atherogenic factors are most probably involved, more markedly when azathioprine is used for maintenance immunosuppression. With cyclosporine, changes of graft haemodynamics and possibly also toxic damage to the vessels involved seem to be more important.

Keywords: Arteriosclerosis /etiology/; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents /adverse effects/; Kidney Transplantation /adverse effects/; Renal Artery; Retrospective Studies