Ovarian Function After Renal Transplantation: Comparison of Cyclosporin A With Azathioprine and Prednisone Combination Regimens

The study assessed ovarian function in 24 women post-renal transplantation, comparing those treated with cyclosporin A (10 patients) to those on azathioprine and prednisone (14 patients). No differences were found in clinical or endocrine indices of ovarian function between the two groups. Both treatment regimens were associated with excessive hair growth, which was observed even in postmenopausal women, indicating that hypertrichosis was likely a consequence of renal transplantation rather than a specific side effect of cyclosporin A. Higher levels of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in the cyclosporin group were attributed to prednisone-induced suppression of adrenal androgen output in the azathioprine and prednisone group.