February 8 - Recent Transplant News
Friday, February 8, 2013
Regional variability in liver waiting list removals causes false ascertainment of waiting list deaths
Source: American Journal of Transplantation
Authors examine alternative ways of assuring complete documentation of deaths on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Liver Transplant Waiting List and report that the most accurate way is to add to OPTN-reported deaths on the list of all deaths reported in the Social Security Administration Death Master File that occurred within 90 days of a patient's being dropped from the list. Read more.
Uremic pleuritis in chronic hemodialysis patients
Source: Hemodialysis International (subscription required)
Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients are predisposed to several complications associated with pleural effusion. In addition, uremia can directly cause pleuritis. However, there are inadequate data about pathogenesis and natural course of uremic pleuritis. In this study, 76 chronic HD patients with pleural effusion were evaluated to figure out the etiology of their pleural disease. Read more.
Impact of locoregional therapy and alpha-fetoprotein on outcomes in transplantation for liver cancer
Source: Clinical Transplantation (subscription required)
Liver transplantation (LT) provides optimal long-term disease-free survival for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). High pre-LT alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has been associated with HCC recurrence, but it is unclear whether a drop in AFP or locoregional therapy impacts survival/recurrence after LT. LT recipients transplanted for HCC in three centers (UNOS Region 6) were reviewed for demographics, tumor characteristics, locoregional therapy, AFP, recurrence and survival. Read more.
Valganciclovir dosing using area under the curve calculations in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients
Source: Pediatric Transplanatation (subscription required)
Pediatric valganciclovir dosing recommendations have not been extensively validated for prevention or treatment for CMV infection. As such, researchers performed a pharmacokinetic study to compare different valganciclovir dosing regimens and the potential benefits of individualized dose adjustments in children following organ transplantation. Read more.
Follow-up of secondary diabetic complications after pancreas transplantation
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation (subscription required)
Patients who are referred for pancreas transplantation usually suffer from advanced chronic complications of diabetes, which have classically been deemed irreversible. A successful pancreas transplantation is often able to slow the progression, stabilize and even reverse many microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes. Growing clinical evidence shows that the expected natural history of long-term diabetic complications can be significantly modified by successful pancreas transplantation. Read more.
Trends in immunosuppression after pancreas transplantation: What is in the pipeline?
Source: Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation (subscription required)
A study was conducted to provide an overview of currently available immunosuppressive strategies and novel therapeutic developments in pancreas transplantation. Implementation of novel therapeutic strategies and combination protocols to reduce or avoid drug toxicities and immune-related complications that are evaluated in prospective and randomized trials is requested to improve outcomes after pancreas transplantation. Read more.
Counseled women can breastfeed while taking tacrolimus
Source: Renal & Urology News
Women taking tacrolimus who wish to breastfeed after appropriate counseling should not be discouraged from doing so. John Schieszer reports in the Medical Minute on one of the first studies to look at breastmilk and infant health in women who are taking this immunosuppressant following transplantation. Read more.
Combined liver transplantation and gastric sleeve resection for patients with medically complicated obesity and end-stage liver disease
Source: American Journal of Transplantation (subscription required)
Obesity is increasingly common before and after liver transplantation (LT), yet optimal management remains unclear. The aim of a recent study was to analyze the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary protocol for obese patients requiring LT, including a noninvasive pretransplant weight loss program and a combined LT plus sleeve gastrectomy for obese patients who failed to lose weight prior to LT. Read more.
Results of the European clinical trial of arrow coraide left ventricular assist system
Source: Artificial Organs (subscription required)
The aim a recent study was to evaluate the safety and performance of the Arrow CorAide left ventricular assist system, a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device, as bridge to transplantation or recovery as well as destination therapy in patients with New York Heart Association class IV heart failure. Read more.
Living donor smoking worsens recipient survival
Source: Renal & Urology News (subscription required)
Recipients of kidneys from living donors who smoke have shorter survival than recipients of kidneys from non-smoker living donors, according to a study presented at the American Society of Transplant Surgeons' 2013 Annual State of the Art Winter Symposium. Read more.