Annals of Transplantation最新文献

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on mental health worldwide. Kidney transplant recipients represent a vulnerable population that may experience increased anxiety due to their health concerns and the risk of infection. This study aims to delve into the psychological anxiety levels and influential factors of kidney transplant patients during the Omicron variant of COVID-19 pandemic in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis was conducted using an online survey questionnaire to investigate the anxiety levels of 203 kidney transplant recipients and 53 individuals from the general population. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was employed to evaluate anxiety levels, and the influencing factors affecting anxiety levels were analyzed for both cohorts. RESULTS Among the cohort of the 203 kidney transplant recipients, 28 individuals (13.8%) had symptoms indicative of anxiety, with an average SAS score of 40.5±9.0. Out of the 53 individuals from the general population, 9 (17.0%) had symptoms of anxiety, with an average SAS score of 39.6±10.7. Notably, females and those with chronic respiratory diseases within the general population showed higher anxiety levels, and having a chronic respiratory condition was found to be an independent risk factor for anxiety levels in the general population. CONCLUSIONS This investigation demonstrates that anxiety levels in kidney transplant recipients and the general population were comparable during the Omicron variant of COVID-19 pandemic. However, kidney transplant patients showed more stable anxiety levels.

BACKGROUND Arytenoid dislocation (AD) is a rare complication of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation, with a published incidence of 0.009-0.097%. This retrospective case-control study aimed to identify risk factors associated with AD in patients who underwent liver transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 476 patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2013 and December 2022. Patients with AD who underwent surgery were included in the AD group. For each case of AD, 4 patients matched by anesthesia type and anesthetist were randomly selected as the non-AD group. Data on patient characteristics, anesthetic factors, and surgical factors were collected and compared between patients with and without AD. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for AD after liver transplantation. RESULTS Of the 476 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 17 (3.57%) had AD. AD occurred on the left side in 13 patients and on the right side in 4 patients. The 17 patients who experienced AD and 68 matched non-AD patients were enrolled. Patients in the AD group had a greater intubation depth (24 [23-24] vs 24 [24-24], P=0.043), a higher level of hemoglobin (134.5 [118-147.5] vs 112 [96.25-125], P=0.014), and prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU (19.75 [15.87-31.87] vs 13 [10.62-15], P<0.001) compared to those in the non-dislocation group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU was independently associated with the occurrence of AD in patients who underwent liver transplantation (P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the incidence of AD was 3.57% in patients undergoing liver transplant surgery and that prolonged tracheal intubation in the ICU was a possible risk factor for AD.

BACKGROUND Hypertension is a risk factor for graft failure and mortality among kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The aim of the study was to examine blood pressure (BP) as a factor that contributes to graft failure or death during a 10-year observation period. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group comprised 70 KTRs who were treated according to their clinical state. Data were collected at 1 month and 1 year after transplantation and included office and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) BP values, eGFR, proteinuria, and BMI. During the observation period, 6 patients died, and 10 lost the graft, but not during the first year. RESULTS Office and ABPM BP values were within normal ranges and did not differ from each other. eGRF and BMI were higher at 1 year compared to 1 month after transplantation, and proteinuria decreased. Among those who died, DBP was lower compared to those of survivors with graft failure. Proteinuria and donor age were positively correlated with BP. CONCLUSIONS Monitoring of BP and adequate treatment of hypertension resulting in BP values within normal values among KTRs contribute to longer survival of the graft and recipient. Older donor age and proteinuria could predict post-transplant hypertension. Low diastolic BP of the recipient could increase the risk of death among KTRs. Despite the fact that ABPM is the blood pressure measurement method of choice, appropriate standard office measurement could also be used for BP monitoring.

BACKGROUND Inducing transplantation tolerance and monitoring the recipient's immune status to improve allograft survival remains the main goal for kidney transplantation (KTx). MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 53 renal transplantation patients and 20 healthy individuals were assigned to the post-transplantation and healthy groups, respectively; 10 recipients with stable renal function for 2 years after kidney transplantation were assigned to Group C. Eleven kidney transplantation recipients were hospitalized due to lung infection. Flow cytometry was used to measure levels of Tregs/CD4⁺ T cells. RESULTS The Tregs/CD4⁺ T cells ratio reached homeostasis 6 months after KTx, with no significant difference between Group D (healthy control group) and pre-surgery or Group C (2 years after KTx group). The pediatric donor group and the adult donor group reached immune homeostasis 3 months after the operation. Immune homeostasis is maintaining a balance between immune tolerance and immunogenicity. There was no significant difference in graft function between the pediatric and adult donor groups before surgery, 1 day after surgery, 1 week after surgery, 2 weeks after surgery, and 1 month after surgery; however, graft function was significantly better in the pediatric donor group compared with the adult donor group at 3 mouths (eGFR: 51.7 (40.4-66.2) vs 73.0 (55.7-90.2), P=0.008<0.05) and 6 months (eGFR: 52.2 (37.5-62.8) vs 80.5 (64.1-90.4), P<0.001) after surgery. Pediatric donor kidneys reached immune homeostasis 3 months after surgery, with better graft function at this time compared with adult donor kidneys. The proportion of Tregs/CD4⁺ T cells in recipients with a pulmonary infection after KTx was lower than in those with infection recovery. CONCLUSIONS Expanding the use of pediatric kidneys should be further explored by the transplantation community. The proportion of Tregs/CD4⁺ T cells in recipients with a pulmonary infection after KTx was lower than in those with infection recovery.

BACKGROUND In liver transplantation (LT), preoperative desensitization therapy is considered necessary in patients positive for donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSAs). However, the relationship between DSA intensity and the necessary desensitization therapy is unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 37 adult living donor (LD) LTs performed between January 2016 and March 2022 were examined. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) was administered preoperatively in DSA-positive cases with positive lymphocyte cross-matching who underwent LDLT. In those with strongly positive DSA (mean fluorescence intensity 10 000), rituximab was administered 2 weeks before LDLT in addition to MMF. Cross-reactive epitope group antigen (CREG)-alone-positive cases were also treated with preoperative MMF when lymphocyte cross-matching was positive. RESULTS Of the 37 patients, 9 were DSA-positive, 7 were CREG-alone-positive, and the others were double-negative. Of 9 DSA-positive cases, desensitization therapy was performed in 7, among which rituximab administration was performed in 3 strongly DSA-positive cases. Of 7 CREG-alone-positive cases, 2 were lymphocyte cross-match-positive and underwent desensitization therapy. The 1-year survival rate was 100% in both DSA- and CREG-alone-positive cases. The frequency of T-cell mediated rejection in DSA-positive, CREG-alone-positive, and double-negative cases was 22%, 43%, and 29%, respectively, with no significant difference. Antibody-mediated rejection occurred in only 1 patient, who was strongly DSA-positive and blood-group incompatible. There was also no significant difference among the 3 groups in terms of the frequency of biliary complications or 90-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS Satisfactory LDLT results were achieved in DSA- and CREG-alone-positive cases following desensitization therapy.

A number types of extracellular DNA (eg, cell-free, cfDNA) circulate in human blood, including mitochondrial, transcriptome, and regulatory DNA, usually at low concentrations. Larger amounts of cfDNA appear in any inflammatory condition, including organ damage due to a variety of reasons. The role of cfDNA in solid organ transplantation is discussed in this review as a valuable additional tool in the standard of care of transplant patients. Post-transplant monitoring requires the use of high-quality biomarkers for early detection of graft damage or rejection to be able to apply early therapeutic intervention. CfDNA complements the traditional monitoring strategies, being a risk stratification tool and an important prognostic marker. However, improving the sensitivity and specificity of cfDNA detection is necessary to facilitate personalized patient management, warranting further research in terms of measurement, test standardization, and storage, processing, and shipping. A diagnostic test (Allosure, CareDx, Inc., Brisbane, CA) for kidney, heart and lung transplant patients is now commercially available, and validation for other organs (eg, liver) is pending. To date, donor-derived cfDNA in combination with other biomarkers appears to be a promising tool in graft rejection as it is minimally invasive, time-sensitive, and cost-effective. However, improvement of sensitivity and specificity is required to facilitate personalized patient management. Whether it could be an alternate to graft biopsy remains unclear.

BACKGROUND EPTS (Estimated Post-Transplant Survival), KDRI (Kidney Donor Risk Index), and KDPI (Kidney Donor Profile Index) were developed aiming to ameliorate donor-recipient longevity matching in kidney transplants. They are based on a prediction model made using the United States population; evidence of their use outside EEUU remains limited. The aim of this study was to describe the quality of deceased-donor kidneys and to determine recipient and graft survival, glomerular filtration rate, and incidence of delayed graft function in renal transplantation according to these indices in Cali, Colombia. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this historical cohort study, Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival of recipient and graft according to the values of the indices categorized by quintiles. Glomerular filtration rate and incidence of delayed graft function were also analyzed according to KDRI and KDPI. RESULTS We included 380 patients. Medians of EPTS, KDRI, and KDPI were 24% (IQR 9-60), 0.8 (IQR 0.71-0.99), and 27% (IQR 13-49), respectively. Two-year survival was 97.8% in recipients with EPTS ≤20% and it decreased with higher values of the index. Recipient and graft survival were lower for all periods when donors had KDPI >80%. Incidence of delayed graft function was higher in patients whose donors had KDPI ≥60% (44% vs 21%). Glomerular filtration rate decreased with the highest values of KDPI for all periods. CONCLUSIONS Our study represents the initial evaluation of the usefulness of these indices in Colombia. Our results suggest that KDRI, KDPI, and EPTS may serve as valuable tools for kidney allocation in our setting. Further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to validate these indices in our population.

BACKGROUND Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is an uncommon cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Recurrence rates after transplantation range from 11.8% to 18.9% after 5 and 15 years, respectively. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of MPGN recurrence after kidney transplantation and its impact on graft survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a single-center retrospective cohort, including renal transplant recipients older than 18 years, with a diagnosis of MPGN in native kidneys. Data were obtained from medical records during the first 5-year post-transplant follow-up. Primary endpoints were graft function and survival. Secondary endpoints were MPGN recurrence risk factors and these cases' clinical, laboratory, and histological features. RESULTS Twenty-eight patients were included; the majority male (60.7%), with a mean age of 24.0±9.4 years. At MPGN native diagnosis, all patients presented proteinuria, with C3 consumption in 42.9%. Histological analysis showed 13 (42.9%) MPGN type I and 5 (17.9%) type II, with no cases of type III. MPGN recurrence occurred in 7 (25.0%) patients; 85.7% were male, 57.1% were recipients from a living donor, all presenting nephrotic syndrome and hematuria, with C3 consumption in 71.4%. The graft function was similar between the groups. Two (28.6%) patients progressed to graft failure in the recurrence group, and 1 died with a functioning graft. CONCLUSIONS The MPGN recurrence rate was 25%, most of them recipients of kidneys from living donors. Nephrotic syndrome and C3 consumption were frequent at recurrence. The graft function was similar between the groups, and the 5-year graft survival rate in the recurrence group was higher than in other studies.