A high panel-reactive antibody rescue protocol for cross-match-positive live donor kidney transplants.

Live Donor Liver Transplantation: Is It Better Than Waiting?

Living donor liver transplantation

Pre-emptive kidney transplants have not been favored in some centers because of concern about possible increased noncompliance and allegedly inferior long-term results. We analyzed our experience with pre-emptive kidney transplants to determine whether such concerns are justified. Between January 1, 1984, and June 30, 1998, we performed 1849 adult primary kidney transplants: 385 pre-emptive (recipients not undergoing dialysis, ND) and 1464 non-pre-emptive (recipients undergoing dialysis, D). Results were subdivided by donor source: cadaver (CAD) and living donor (LD). ND recipients tended to be younger, but otherwise, the two groups were similar. Posttransplantation quality of life in recipients was evaluated using the nationally standardized Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The posttransplantation employment status of the recipients was also evaluated. The patient survival rate 5 years posttransplantation was significantly better for ND (vs. D) recipients for both CAD (92.6% vs. 76.6%, P=0.001) and LD (93.3% vs. 89.5%, P=0.02) transplants. The 5-year patient survival rate was significantly higher for ND recipients compared with recipients undergoing dialysis for < 1, 1-2, and > 2 years pretransplantation for both CAD (P=0.0005) and LD (P=0.0001) transplants. The graft survival rate 5 years posttransplantation was similar between ND and D recipients for CAD transplants, but significantly better for ND (vs. D) recipients of LD transplants (92.3% vs. 84.8%, P=0.006). For CAD transplants, the 5-year graft survival rate was not different when ND recipients were compared with recipients undergoing dialysis for < 1, 1-2, and > 2 years pretransplantation; for LD transplants it was significantly higher for ND recipients compared with recipients undergoing dialysis for < 1, 1-2, and > 2 years pretransplantation (P=0.04). The incidence of acute and chronic rejection was no different between ND and D recipients for either CAD or LD transplants, and it was also not affected by the pretransplantation time undergoing dialysis. Graft loss secondary to the recipient's discontinuation of immunosuppressive therapy (a crude estimate of compliance) was similar between ND and D recipients. Five years posttransplantation, the SF-36 scores regarding the recipient's quality of life and the employment status were similar for ND compared with D recipients, regardless of donor source. ND recipients do not seem to have higher rates of noncompliance than D recipients. Results for ND recipients seem to be superior than for D recipients, supporting the contention that renal failure patients should, if possible, undergo transplantation before dialysis.

Effectiveness of Different Kidney Exchange Mechanisms to Improve Living Donor Transplantation in Chile

Background Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for patients with end stage renal failure in industrialized countries, but its availability is very limited in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, this option was accessible for only those few who could afford to travel abroad with their living donors for donation and transplantation. In collaboration with faculty from the University of Michigan (UM), the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, National Kidney Transplant Center, the first Ethiopian kidney transplant program, was launched at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) in Addis Ababa in Sept 2015. This study reports on live donor and recipient kidney transplant outcomes to date. Methods This is a retrospective cross sectional qualitative study of live kidney transplant performed at Saint Paul Hospital Millennium Medical College. Results This study reports on live donor and recipient kidney transplant outcomes to date. From September 2015 through February 2018, a total of 70 live kidney transplants were performed at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC). All procedures were performed by SPHMMC transplant team in collaboration with University of Michigan faculty and later experiences from Hospital Do Rim Sao Paulo Brazil was incorporated. All of recipients were 1st time recipients HLA typing and crossmatch were performed off site B and T cell crossmatch were negative by the CDC method in all patients None of the recipients have significant titer of Anti-HLA antibodies. Majority of donors were females (53.8%) and majority of recipients were males (60%). Donor age ranged from18 to 66 with a mean of 30.2 years. Mostly donors were siblings (40%) or parents (12%) of the recipient. Donor Outcomes 47 were initially hand assisted Laparoscopic nephrectomies (one conversion) with conversion rate of 6.7 % (due to intraperitoneal adhesions ), the remaining twenty three were open donor nephrectomi with after an experience sharing at hospital Do rim in Brazil(a mini-incision (~10 cm) open donor nephrectomy technique has been utilized). There was 100% survival, two re -hospitalization for lymphocele. 1 donor complication – Heamopneumothorax,and Small bowel obstruction requiring exploration, Prolonged hospital stay (14 days) and another with major bleeding during open donor nephrectomy. Recipient Outcome There was only one hyper-acute rejection and four graft censored death one having superficial surgical site infection and one suffering from Atelectasis. Conclusion Despite challenges arising from a resource-limited setting, outcomes of Living Donor Kidney Transplantations (LDKT) performed at SPHMMC are comparable to international standards. Blending experiences from different countries and evolving into a more suitable contextual implimentation of LDKT makes the prospects for sustainable Living Donor Transplantation in Ethiopia are promising. Ethiopian Mistry of Health.

BACKGROUND We evaluated the effects of preoperative positive cross-match and HLA mismatching on early acute cellular rejection and graft survival in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data of 286 patients who underwent LDLT from 2008 to 2013. Cross-matching tests were performed by complement-dependent lymphocytotoxicity (CDC) and flow cytometry (FCX) methods. The CDC cross-matching test was performed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) standard cross-match and antiglobulin (AHG) cross-match methods. RESULTS NIH, AHG, and FCX were positive in T-lymphocytes from 18 (6.3%), 21(7.3%), and 23 (8.0%) patients, respectively. T-CDC (T-NIH or T-AHG) results were positive in 23 (8.0%) patients. CDC and FCX results were positive in B-lymphocytes from 18 (6.3%) and 35 (12.2%) patients. All positive cross-match results were significantly associated with acute cellular rejection. Only a positive T-CDC cross-match was significantly associated with decreased graft survival (P=0.035). In a multivariate analysis, a positive T-CDC cross-match was the only independent risk factor with a decreased graft survival rate (P=0.041). An HLA mismatch was not associated with acute rejection (p=0.468 for HLA-A, p=0.644 for HLA-B, and p=0.811 for HLA-DR), graft survival (p=0.895 for HLA-A, p=0.580 for HLA-B, and p=0.969 for HLA-DR), and overall survival (p=0.862 for HLA-A, p=0.634 for HLA-B, and p=0.917 for DLA-DR). CONCLUSIONS Although a further prospective study with a larger cohort is required, it is not wise nor safe to perform LDLT in the setting of a positive T-CDC cross-match result.

Successful Rescue of Late-onset Antibody-mediated Rejection 12 Years After Living-donor Intestinal Transplantation: A Case Report

Liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus (HCV) non-viremic recipients with HCV viremic donors.

Immunosuppression: practice and trends

Immunosuppression in liver transplant recipients with renal impairment

Predictors of Kidney Volume Change and Delayed Kidney Function Recovery After Donor Nephrectomy

Variation in Dialysis Exposure Prior to Nonpreemptive Living Donor Kidney Transplantation in the United States and Its Association With Allograft Outcomes

Live kidney donor transplantation across immunological barriers, either blood group or positive crossmatch [ABO- and human leucocyte antigens (HLA)-incompatible kidney transplantation, respectively], is now practised widely across many transplant centres. This provides transplantation opportunities to patients that hitherto would have been deemed contra-indicated and would subsequently have waited indefinitely for a suitably matched kidney. Protocols have evolved with time as experience has grown and now a variety of desensitization strategies are currently practised to overcome such immunological barriers. In addition, desensitization protocols are complemented by kidney paired donation exchange schemes and therefore incompatible patients now have strategies to either confront or bypass immunological barriers, respectively. As the field expands it is clear that non-transplant clinicians will be exposed to incompatible kidney transplant recipients outside of experienced centres. It is therefore timely to review the evolution of practice that have led to current desensitization modalities, contrast protocols and outcomes of current regimens and speculate on future direction of incompatible kidney transplantation.

Patients with underlying medical conditions are at high risk of developing serious symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 than healthy individuals; therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the immune response to vaccination among them to formulate precision and personalized vaccination strategies. However, inconsistent evidence exists regarding whether patients with underlying medical conditions have lower anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibody titers. We performed a cross-sectional study enrolling 2762 healthcare workers who received second doses of BNT162b2 vaccination from three medical and research institutes between June and July, 2021. Medical conditions were surveyed by a questionnaire, and spike IgG antibody titers were measured with chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay using serum collected on the median of 62 days after the second vaccination. Multilevel linear regression model was used to estimate geometric mean and ratio of mean (95% confidence interval, CI) for the presence and absence of medical conditions and treatments. Among all participants (median age, 40 years [interquartile range, 30-50]; male proportion, 29.4%), the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer was 7.5%, 2.3%, 3.8%, 1.8%, and 1.3%, respectively. Patients with treated hypertension had lower antibody titers than those without hypertension; the multivariable-adjusted ratio of mean (95% CI) was 0.86 (0.76-0.98). Patients with untreated and treated diabetes had lower antibody titers than those without diabetes; the multivariable-adjusted ratio of mean (95% CI) was 0.63 (0.42-0.95) and 0.77 (0.63-0.95), respectively. No substantial difference was observed between the presence or absence of chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Patients with untreated hypertension and patients with untreated and treated diabetes had lower spike IgG antibody titers than participants without those medical conditions, suggesting that continuous monitoring of antibody titers and further booster shots could be necessary to maintain adaptive immunity in patients with hypertension or diabetes.

Predictors of Having a Potential Live Donor: A Prospective Cohort Study of Kidney Transplant Candidates