Cyclosporine nephrotoxicity without major organ transplantation

Cyclosporine is an immunosuppressant used primarily in transplantation and more recently in the therapy of autoimmune disease. Nephrotoxicity is a well-recognized complication of cyclosporine and includes functional and anatomical damage. We report the cases of two patients given cyclosporine for immunologic diseases other than major organ transplantation. Both patients developed irreversible renal functional impairment and had renal biopsy findings consistent with chronic cyclosporine nephrotoxicity.