Table 1 General principles in immunosuppression
  • With one drug in a moderate dose, or high dose short-term, you are safe

  • With two drugs in low–moderate dose you are safe. With one of two in high dose there is risk of over-immunosuppression

  • With three drugs there is always risk of over-immunosuppression irrespective of dose

  • Usually a certain degree of immunosuppression can be obtained with different combinations of drugs

  • Conventional drugs (steroids, antimetabolites and calcineurin inhibitors) have short-term effect (days to weeks)

  • Biological drugs (polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies) have long-term effects (months to years)