Marked change in blood tacrolimus concentration levels due to grapefruit in a renal transplant patient.

ABSTRACT

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Reveal the current status of grapefruit in the Chinese medical environment. CASE DESCRIPTION An approximately 2-fold increase in blood tacrolimus concentration was observed on day 9 in the hospital despite no change in dose. The only possible cause is that the patient had consumed grapefruit during hospitalization, which is often mistakenly considered to be a fruit belonging to the West and uncommon in the medical environment in China. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: This is the first report of grapefruit-induced blood tacrolimus concentration change. Chinese medical practitioners should re-evaluate the impact of grapefruit and food-drug interactions caused by it.