February 15 - Recent Transplant News
Friday, February 15, 2013
Registry analysis: Inferior early posttransplant outcomes for recipients of right versus left deceased donor kidneys
Source: American Journal of Transplantation (subscription required)
Anatomical differences between right and left kidneys could influence transplant outcome. Receipt of a right kidney is a risk factor for inferior outcomes in the first year after transplantation. A higher incidence of surgical complications suggests the shorter right renal vein may be contributory. The higher susceptibility of right kidneys to injury should be considered in organ allocation. Read more.
Low-dose steroids associated with milder histological changes after pediatric liver transplantation
Source: Liver Transplantation (subscription required)
Controversy remains about the role of protocol liver biopsy for symptom-free recipients and about the long-term use of low-dose steroids after pediatric liver transplantation (LT). A recent national cross-sectional study examined pediatric recipients who underwent LT between 1987 and 2007. Researchers concluded continuing low-dose steroids indefinitely after pediatric LT may have a positive effect on the long-term histological state of the liver graft. Read more.
Radiation exposure high prior to kidney transplantation
Source: Renal & Urology News
A study found kidney transplant recipients are exposed to large amounts of ionizing radiation from medical imaging as part of their pre-transplant evaluation. Dr. Anup M. Patel and colleagues at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J., reviewed the medical records of 172 kidney transplant recipients who underwent 905 medical imaging procedures involving ionizing radiation. Of these, 28 were exposed to high dose (more than 50 and up to 100 mSv) and 23 were exposed to very high dose (more than 100 mSv) cumulative effective radiation. Read more.
Outcome of pediatric heart transplantation recipients treated with ventricular assist device
Source: Pediatric Transplantation
A recent study was conducted to evaluate the long-term prognosis of pediatric HTx patients treated with VAD before transplantation. The clinical data of six patients bridged to HTx with Berlin Heart EXCOR pediatric device were analyzed retrospectively. It is suggested that the prognosis of pediatric HTx patients treated with VAD before transplantation is not inferior to that of other HTx patients. Read more.
Post-chemo woman pregnant after ovary tissue transplant
Source: The Conversation
For the first time ever in Australia, a woman whose chemotherapy rendered her infertile has become pregnant using ovarian tissue taken from her body before her cancer treatment, a new study reports. Chemotherapy commonly kills the eggs in a woman's ovaries but the radical new technique, which has only been successful in 20 cases world wide, offers new hope to women who hope to conceive after cancer treatment. Read more.
Related article:
First Australian pregnancy after ovarian tissue cryopreservation and subsequent autotransplantation (Medical Journal of Australia)
Significance of and risk factors for the development of central airway stenosis after lung transplantation
Source: American Journal of Transplantation (subscription required)
Central airways stenosis (CAS) after lung transplant is a poorly understood complication. Objectives of a recent study were to determine if CAS was associated with chronic rejection or worse survival after transplant as well as to identify factors associated with CAS in a large cohort of lung transplant recipients. Read more.
Association between plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels and hemodynamic instability during liver transplantation
Source: Liver Transplantation
The activation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) production in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) has been associated with hemodynamic instability during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The aim of this prospective, observational study was to investigate the involvement of cGMP in the mediation of profound hypotension during liver graft reperfusion. Read more.
Hormonal imbalance in relation to exercise intolerance and ventilatory inefficiency in chronic heart failure
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation (subscription required)
Skeletal muscle wasting is associated with altered catabolic/anabolic balance and poor prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). A study recently evaluated catabolic and anabolic abnormalities in relation to disease severity in CHF patients. Researchers concluded enhanced catabolic status is significantly associated with exercise intolerance, ventilatory inefficiency and chronotropic incompetence in CHF patients, suggesting a significant contributing mechanism to their limited functional status. Read more.
Characterization and quantification of porcine circulating endothelial cells
Source: Xenotransplantation (subscription required)
Endothelial damage is a critical step in the development of (xeno) transplantation-related and cardiovascular pathology. In humans, the amount of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) correlates to disease intensity and functions as a valuable damage marker. While (xeno) transplantation and cardiovascular research is regularly performed in porcine models, the paucity of antibodies against porcine endothelium epitopes hinders the use of CEC as damage marker. A recent study aimed to develop a method for porcine CEC detection using anti-human antibodies against porcine endothelium epitopes. Read more.
Donor risk factors, retrieval technique, preservation and ischemia/reperfusion injury in pancreas transplantation
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation (subscription required)
Pancreas transplantation is still hampered by a high incidence of early graft loss, and organ quality concerns result in high nonrecovery/discard rates. Demographic donor characteristics, surgical retrieval strategy, preservation fluid and ischemia time are crucial factors in the process of organ selection and are discussed in this review. Read more.