July 26: Recent Transplant News
Friday, July 26, 2013
Continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in kidney-transplanted children
Pediatric Transplantation (login required)
NODAT and IGT are well-known complications of immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease affecting patient and graft survival. Therefore, early identification and treatment are of high importance. This study examines the glycemic homeostasis of 20 renal-transplanted children using routine laboratory tests and the continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Six patients (30 percent) had IGT, and one patient had NODAT (5 percent). Read more.
Obese kidney patients benefit from transplants
MedPage Today (login required)
Obese renal failure patients who have a body mass index under 40 derive the same overall survival benefit from kidney transplantation as non-obese patients, researchers found. Read more.
Trial: Calcineurin inhibitor-free mycophenolate mofetil/sirolimus maintenance in liver transplantation
Liver Transplantation (login required)
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and sirolimus (SRL) have been used for calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) minimization to reduce nephrotoxicity following liver transplantation. In this prospective, open-label, multicenter study, patients undergoing transplantation from July 2005 to June 2007 who were maintained on MMF/CNI were randomized 4 to 12 weeks after transplantation to receive MMF/SRL (n = 148) or continue MMF/CNI (n = 145) and included in the intent-to-treat population. Read more.
Effects of ureteral stents on risk of bacteriuria in renal allograft recipients
Transplant Infectious Disease
Placement of ureteral stents at the time of renal transplantation is thought to decrease the incidence of postoperative complications, such as anastomotic leakage and stenosis. However, stents may also predispose to posttransplantation urinary tract infection, which can lead to increased risks of graft dysfunction, sepsis, and death. The aim of this study was to analyze the risk of posttransplantation bacteriuria with ureteral stent placement in renal allograft recipients. Read more.
Portal vein arterialization using an accessory right hepatic artery in liver transplantation
Liver Transplantation (login required)
Portal vein thrombosis remains to be a challenging issue during liver transplantation even with the acquisition of innovative surgical techniques and years of experience. Most frequently, an initial eversion thromboendovenectomy is performed and depending on the extent of thrombosis and intraoperative findings, further revascularization options include venous jump grafts, portocaval hemitransposition, renoportal anastomosis or portal vein arterialization. Read more.
Eye receptor transplants may restore eyesight to the blind
NewScientist
For the first time, the light-sensing cells found in the retina have been grown from scratch in the lab, and then successfully transplanted into the eyes of blind mice. The transplanted cells successfully matured and connected with nerves that transmit visual signals to the brain. Researchers say that if the procedure can be repeated with human stem cells, they believe they can cure most forms of blindness that result from degeneration of these photoreceptor cells, due to either the effects of ageing or diseases like diabetes. Read more.
Report: Decreasing incidence of symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus, posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder in pediatric liver transplant
Liver Transplantation (login required)
Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) causes significant morbidity and mortality in pediatric recipients of liver transplantation (LT). The objective of a recent study was to describe the incidence of PTLD and symptomatic Epstein-Barr virus (SEBV) disease in a large multicenter cohort of children who underwent LT with a focus on the risk factors and changes in incidence over time. Read more.
Parenchymal alterations in cirrhotic livers in patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome or portopulmonary hypertension
Liver Transplantation (login required)
Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and portopulmonary hypertension (PPH) are distinct pulmonary vascular complications of cirrhosis. Little is known about possible associated hepatic histopathological features. Explanted livers from patients clinically diagnosed with HPS (n = 8) or PPH (n = 7) and cirrhotic explants from controls (n = 30) without HPS or PPH were evaluated with trichrome histochemistry, anti–glutamine synthetase (anti-GS), and anti-CD34 immunohistochemistry (IHC). Read more.