Abstract: AIM: To evaluate the effects of tacrolimus (FK506) combining with liver-aid tablet in treatment of acute rejection after liver transplantation. METHODS: Forty-seven cases with mild to moderate acute rejection after liver transplantation were reviewed, 23 in FK506 combining with liver-aid tablet treatment group, 24 in FK506 without liver-aid tablet control group. Besides treatments with FK506, 23 patients with acute rejection in the treatment group were given liver-aid tablet three pills twice daily. To analyze blood concentration of FK506 biochemically and levels of liver function on the sixth day, fourteenth day after treatments, respectively. RESULTS: The blood concentration of FK506 in the treatment group had a significantly increase as compared with the control group (P <0.01). Liver functions of the patients in the treatment group were improved significantly (P <0.05) on both the sixth day and fourteenth day. Levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL) in the treatment group were all significantly lower than those of the control group. The effective rate in treatment group on the 6th day was 47.83 %, and the total effective rate was 91.30 %.Therapeutic effects in the treatment group were significantly better than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: FK506 combining with liver-aid tablet is safe and effective for the treatment of acute rejection after liver transplantation. Liver-aid tablet is useful not only for promoting liver function, but also for increasing FK506 concentration, as well as for saving money on FK506.

Key words: liver transplantation, acute rejection, liver-aid tablet, tacrolimus, blood concentration, liver function