Transplantation Reports最新文献

Background and hypothesis

Frailty has emerged as an important factor in the pre-transplant evaluation process as studies have shown that it is associated with increased waitlist mortality, lower rates of transplant listing, and higher rates of delisting. There have not been many studies on frailty in elderly pre-transplant patients. In this study, we determined the common frailty phenotypes in an elderly population, and its effects on transplant success.

Methods

Over a 3-year period, frailty was determined for all patients evaluated at our center. Patient characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics, overall and by level of frailty. Differences in patient characteristics by level of frailty were assessed for statistical significance using analysis of variance for age and chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Transplant outcomes such as listing success, transplant rates and post-transplant outcomes were tied to initial frailty assessments as well as the changes in frailty over time.

Results

A total of 375 patients were evaluated over the study period. The mean age was 64±9 years. African American patients were less likely to be frail. After adjusting for age and race, the most significant predictors of listing were the walk test (aOR: 0.42, 95 % CI: 0.22–0.79) and physical activity (aOR: 0.45, 95 % CI: 0.28–0.74). A total of 30 patients (8 %) with a pre-listing frailty evaluation died prior to transplantation. Frail walk test and physical activity assessment led to a 2-fold increase in pre-transplant mortality (7 % vs 17 %; 6 % vs 13 %).

Conclusion

Our study is the first to focus on a purely geriatric population and shows the importance of frailty on listing success, transplant rates and mortality prior to listing. These data point to the need for the development of tools to target frailty as a guide for improving transplant success in elderly patients.

Heavy metal toxicity has recently been described in solid organ transplant recipients. Allograft dysfunction or failure associated with arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt and lead exposure have been reported, largely in renal transplant recipients, but also in small numbers of heart transplant recipients and a few liver and lung recipients. Conclusions: [1] In kidney transplant patients, highest tertile arsenic, cadmium and lead plasma levels were associated with increased allograft loss, compared to lower tertile levels; [2] Deteriorating metal hip prostheses may rarely cause heart failure due to cobalt and chromium cardiac toxicity in heart transplant and non-heart transplant patients, which resolves with prosthesis replacement; [3] Heavy metal testing should be considered in patients with multiple risk factors including occupational and environmental exposure, lower socioeconomic status, and multiple morbidities which could be associated with heavy metal toxicity; [4] Chelation therapy, used successfully in some non-transplant patients with chronic renal failure, has not been used systematically in transplant patients and studies are needed

Objective: to describe Biovigilance Systems and their associated management tools among member countries of the World Health Organization. Method: overview conducted following the population, concept, and context strategy to develop the research question and objective. Structured searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus. Snowballing procedure in Google Scholar and health authorities’ websites as World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization during the first semester of 2023. Language and time restrictions were not applied. Results: we examined more than 70 studies and non-scientific works. Biovigilance systems were identified in 12 countries members of WHO in 3 of 6 regions: Pan-American Region (Brazil and Colombia, Canada), Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain), and Western Pacific Region (Australia). Conclusion: This overview achieved its objective by describing biovigilance systems and their management tools among World Health Organization member countries. This research, designed as an overview, refrains from generalizing results but holds significance for countries and health authorities developing biovigilance systems, offering benchmark opportunities and supporting system improvement. The study contributes directly to the biovigilance discourse, guiding efforts to enhance safety and quality globally.

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after lung transplant and may increase risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) such as tacrolimus contribute to AKI risk. This study evaluated outcomes among lung transplant recipients administered enteral or oral versus intravenous (IV) tacrolimus immediately post-lung transplant.

Methods

We performed a single-center retrospective study of lung transplant recipients from 2011 to 2019. Tacrolimus concentrations, rates of perioperative AKI, CKD, and one-year survival were compared between those that received IV versus oral tacrolimus post-LT.

Results

A total of 153 patients were included; 110 and 43 received IV tacrolimus and enteral or oral tacrolimus, respectively. AKI within 14 days post-LT occurred more frequently in patients that received IV tacrolimus versus enteral administration (84.5 vs 44.1 %, p = <0.001). Additionally, those patients that received IV tacrolimus had supratherapeutic tacrolimus concentrations for more days than those that received enteral (3 days, IQR 1–5 vs 1 day, IQR 0–1; p < 0.001). CKD rates at 1 year were not significantly different between groups. One year survival was 97.7 % in group that received enteral tacrolimus compared to 82.7 % in IV tacrolimus group (p = 0.01)

Conclusion

IV tacrolimus in the initial period post-LT was associated with higher AKI rates and lower 1-year survival compared to enteral tacrolimus. There was no difference in CKD rates at 1 year.

Corticosteroids are a critical component of immunosuppressive regimens following lung transplantation; however, their use is associated with known deleterious effects on bone health. Protocolized preventative therapies and screening may improve bone health in this population. We retrospectively reviewed all adult lung transplant recipients (LTRs) at a single center before and after implementation of a bone health protocol. Fifty-eight LTRs were included; 38 pre-protocol and 20 post-protocol. Significant differences were noted for patients following a bone health protocol including dual x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) completion (16 % vs. 70 %, p = <0.001), less significant decline in femur Z- and T-scores (p = 0.05 and 0.04, respectively), and were more likely to be prescribed anti-resorptive therapy (11 % vs 40 %, p = 0.008) and calcium therapy (24 % vs. 70 %, p = <0.001). Incidence of non-procedural fracture at two years was numerically lower in the post-protocol group (21 % vs. 15 %, p = 0.58). Our data suggests that institution of a bone health protocol for lung transplant recipients improves screening, bone health pharmacotherapy, improved bone density as measured by DEXA and may reduce risk of clinically significant fractures at two years post-transplant.

The blossoming transplantation enterprise has increased the demand for human organs beyond those available from living donors. While individuals undergoing donation after brain death (DBD) continue to yield the vast majority of cadaveric organs recovered worldwide, a growing practice recruits donors among patients displaying severe brain injury but not meeting the criterion of electrosilence. These patients include a cohort who cannot maintain their circulation after withdrawal of machine-assisted ventilation and whose families consent to organ retrieval – subjects for donation after cardiocirculatory death (DCD). Expositions in this collection of articles in Transplantation Reports reveal variable practices worldwide, not only in surgical procedures to recover DCD organs, but also to overcome the ischemia-reperfusion injuries (IRi) consequent to retrieval. The contributions reveal center, national and international guidelines for, as well as outcomes of kidney, liver, lung, cardiac and pancreas transplantations of DCD organs in The United States, South America, Europe, Asia and The Middle East.

On the one hand, there is little concern about the use of ex vivo machine perfusion to diagnose, mitigate and treat IRI in DCD organs. On the other hand, in vivo donor re-vitilization by cardiopulmonary bypass after declaration of death has incited considerable controversy even among medical professionals. Bioethical and biophilosophical considerations as well as public opinion and social consensus must inform forthcoming deliberations of The United States Uniform Determination of Death Act (UDDA) Commission in order to place DCD procedures on a firm footing to meet burgeoning patient needs.

Background

Incisional hernia (IH) remains one of the most common complications following abdominal organ transplantation with no consensus on the optimal management. This study is a narrative review of the incidence, risk factors, diagnosis, and management of IH post-transplantation.

Methods

A literature search using the EMBASE and MEDLINE from 1.1.2016 to 15.8.2002 was conducted. Included studies reported on IH after open abdominal organ transplantation. The outcomes included in our analysis were the incidence of IH, significant patient risk factors, the diagnostic approach used to detect IH, and proposed strategies for the management of IH. 54 publications that involved 9336 transplant patients who developed IH were included.

Results

The incidence of IH ranged from 1.7 % to 43 % in liver transplant patients and was lower following kidney transplantation (1.1 %-7.0 %). Patient risk factors predisposing to IH were body mass index>30, age (>50), smoking history, previous open abdominal surgery, open surgical repair, a Mercedes or inverse T incision and surgical site infections. The most common diagnostic approach for IH is clinical examination, followed by US or CT imaging in cases of complex IH. Following IH repair, recurrence rates ranged from 0 to 76.9 %, and complication rates from 12 % - 52.9 %, the most common of which were surgical site occurrences (11.0–79.2 %) including infection (0 - 65.4 %) and seroma formation (0–8 %). Management of IH should include preoperative optimisation of patients through weight reduction, smoking cessation and adjustment of immunosuppression using a multidisciplinary (MDT) approach. Mesh repair, either open or laparoscopic, is the gold standard for the treatment of IH, resulting in a significantly lower recurrence rate than primary closure. There is no consensus on the type and positioning of mesh, and very limited studies have reported on other perioperative factors such as wound closure.

Conclusions

Prehabilitation and MDT approach are important in ensuring good outcomes following IH repair. Further prospective studies and the establishment of a relevant registry are required to propose a consensus pathway for IH repair in the transplanted population.

Background

Outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) are affected by a number of donor and patient related factors like extent of human leucocyte antigen mismatch, age, source of stem cells, female donor to male recipient and stem cell dose. All of these factors have been extensively investigated; however, effect of donor bone marrow cellularity on HSCT outcomes has not been evaluated.

Methods

This was a prospective study carried out at Armed forces bone marrow transplant center (AFBMTC/NIBMT) from January 2018 to December 2022. Bone marrow cellularity of donors was determined by separate assessment by two experienced Hematopathologists and classified as normocellular, hypocellular or hypercellular according to donor age. Total nucleated cells (TNC) were assessed by automated hematology analyzer and stem cell quantification was done by flowcytometric assay based on CD34, CD45 and 7-AAD immunophenotyping markers. Primary outcome measures were time to achieve neutrophil and platelet engraftment. Secondary outcome measures assessed were overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) and graft versus host disease (GVHD). Frequency and percentage were calculated for categorical variables while Chi-square test was used for quantitative variables. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to determine significance of different variables and effect of cellularity on them. Kaplan Meier estimates with group differences were calculated using log rank tests for OS and DFS. A p value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant.

Results

Cellularity of 95 donors was assessed, 39 (41.1 %) had normocellular marrow while 56 (58.9 %) were hypocellular for age. Median time from diagnosis to transplant was 13 months. In 38 (40 %) the indication for donation was for patients with bone marrow failure syndromes, 23 (24.2 %) for hematological malignancies, 21(22.1 %) for beta thalassemia major and 13 (13.6 %) for miscellaneous disorders including immune deficiencies. Median stem cell / CD 34 dose was 6 × 106/kg and median TNC dose was 5.09 × 108/kg. Median time of neutrophil engraftment was 13.6 days while that of platelet engraftment was 27.1 days. Mean OS was 84.2 %. OS for normocellular donors was 84.6 % and that for hypocellular donors was 83.9 % (p 0.995). DFS for normocellular donors was 84.6 % and for hypocellular donors was 83.9 % (p 0.96). No statistically significant association between the disease group and transplant type with donor marrow cellularity (p value 0.32 and 0.358 respectively) was determined. Multivariate logistic regression model and Backwald test showed no significant association between donor marrow cellularity and CD 34 dose (p 0.65), TNC (p 0.78), neutrophil engraftment (p 0.23), platelet engraftment (p 0.27), Acute GVHD (p 0.83), and chronic GVHD (p 0.44).

Conclusion

Majority of the donors h