Pediatric utilization of rapamycin for severe cardiac allograft rejection

Background. Rapamycin is a new immunosuppressive agent that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute cardiac rejection in the adult po pulation, Methods. This case documents a pediatric patient with ongoing cardiac rejec tion that did not abate despite treatment with antithymocyte serum (RATS), corticosteroid pulses, and methotrexate in addition to daily prednisone, my cophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus, Results. Initiation of therapy with rapamycin resulted in a rapid resolutio n of cardiac rejection and reduction of concomitant immunosuppressive agent s and few side effects. Conclusions. This case illustrated the utilization of rapamycin in a pediat ric patient with ongoing acute rejection despite several modifications in t reatment.