Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Cancer Genet 2021 May 28;256-257:162-164. Epub 2021 May 28.

Department of Dermatology and The Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Electronic address:

In 1911 it was proposed that cancer might result from fusion and hybridization between macrophages and cancer cells. Using immunohistochemistry it was determined that essentially all solid tumors expressed macrophage-like molecules on their cell surface. More recently we have used forensic (STR) genetics that allows one to detect DNA from more than one individual in the same sample. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2021 Jun 24;22:e930867. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York City, NY, USA.

BACKGROUND Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) constituted approximately 10% of organ transplants in 2019, with the majority of transplants consisting of bilateral lung transplant. Multiorgan transplantation in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) is rare, and usually involves the liver and lung combined. Since kidney disease is not a common sequela of CF, the need for renal transplant in individuals who have not previously undergone lung transplant is uncommon. Read More

Acta Cir Bras 2021 18;36(5):e360503. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

PhD. Department of Kidney Regenerative Medicine - The Jikei University School of Medicine - Tokyo, Japan.

Purpose: As a classical xenotransplantation model, porcine kidneys have been transplanted into the lower abdomen of non-human primates. However, we have improved upon this model by using size-matched grafting in the orthotopic position. The beneficial aspects and surgical details of our method are reported herein. Read More

Nefrologia 2021 Jun 18. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Servicio de Nefrología, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla/IDIVAL, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, España. Electronic address:

The increase in the number of patients on the kidney transplant waiting list has led to an attempt to increase the number of potential donors by incorporating candidates that previously would not have been considered optimal, including donors after cardiac death (DCD) and those with "expanded" criteria (ECD). Recipients of controlled DCD (cDCD) grafts suffer more delayed graft function (DGF), but have a long-term evolution comparable to those of brain-dead donors, which has allowed an increase in the number of cDCD transplants in different countries in recent years. In parallel, the use of cDCD with expanded criteria (cDCD/ECD) has increased in recent years in different countries, allowing the waiting list for kidney transplantation to be shortened. Read More

Transpl Infect Dis 2021 Jun 21:e13672. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Background: BK virus is associated with development of nephropathy (BKVN) that can lead to graft failure after renal transplantation. There is limited data on rates of recurrence and outcomes of repeat renal transplantation after prior graft loss due to BKVN.

Methods: After IRB approval, data on all patients who underwent a repeat renal transplantation after prior graft failure due to BKVN was identified. Read More

Transpl Immunol 2021 Jun 18;68:101430. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Department of Blood Transfusion, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, China. Electronic address:

Background: We investigated the impact of de novo donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies (dnDSAs) on long-term death-censored graft survival and renal allograft rejection in kidney transplant recipients.

Methods: The sample for this retrospective cohort study comprised 121 recipients of kidney transplants with negative complement-dependent cytotoxicity crossmatches to their deceased donors. Recipients were divided into two groups: dnDSAs+ (n = 31) and dnDSAs- (n = 90). Read More

Liver Transpl 2021 Jun 19. Epub 2021 Jun 19.

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

There are several choices for induction immunosuppression in kidney-after-liver transplantation. We examined the impact of induction type on kidney graft and patient survival in kidney-after-liver recipients. We utilized the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) database and included patients transplanted between 1/1/2000 and 7/31/2017 to study kidney graft and patient outcomes of all kidney-after-liver transplant recipients in the United States. Read More

Intern Med J 2021 Jun 17. Epub 2021 Jun 17.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: The incidence of end-stage organ disease in people living with HIV (PLWH) is increasing, as people live longer due to potent, tolerable antiretroviral therapy. Consequently, the number of PLWH who would benefit from solid organ transplant (SOT) is rising. Solid organ transplantation experience in PLWH in Australia remains limited. Read More

J Card Surg 2021 Jun 16. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

Department of Cardiac Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has significantly impacted the healthcare landscape in the United States in a variety of ways including a nation-wide reduction in operative volume. The impact of COVID-19 on the availability of donor organs and the impact on solid organ transplant remains unclear. We examine the impact of COVID-19 on a single, large-volume heart transplant program. Read More

Int J Nephrol Renovasc Dis 2021 8;14:173-192. Epub 2021 Jun 8.

Department of Natural Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies.

Purpose: The determinants of quality of life for patients on renal replacement therapy vary across the world. The aim of this study is to determine the quality of life of patients on renal replacement therapy in Trinidad and Tobago and predictors thereof.

Patients And Methods: This cross-sectional study took place over a 1-year period. Read More

Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2021 Jun 16. Epub 2021 Jun 16.

I Jaffer Sathick, Renal Service, Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, United States.

Background and objectives Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, increasing risk of non-relapse mortality. AKI etiology is often ambiguous due to heterogeneity of conditioning/graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) regimens. To date, GVHD and calcineurin inhibitor effects on AKI are not well defined. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Jun 14;11(1):12437. Epub 2021 Jun 14.

Renal Medicine, Kolling Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Calcineurin inhibitors, such as Cyclosporin (CsA), are the mainstay of anti-rejection therapy in solid organ transplants but can paradoxically induce progressive nephropathy characterised by renal dysfunction and interstitial fibrosis. Lysyl oxidases (LOXs), a group of enzymes that catalyse extracellular matrix (ECM) crosslinking, were shown to implicate in tissue scarring. It is hypothesized that inhibition of these enzymes may render therapeutic effects against CsA-induced nephropathy. Read More

Cureus 2021 May 12;13(5):e14985. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Ministry of the National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, SAU.

Background Delayed graft function (DGF) is the most common early postoperative complication of renal transplantation. The occurrence of DGF can lead to both early and late devastating consequences on the allograft's survival. The risk of developing this complication can increase with certain factors that are related to both the donor and the recipient. Read More

Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) 2021 Jun 13. Epub 2021 Jun 13.

Clinical Epidemiology Program, Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Objective: We sought to assess the potential impact of kidney transplantation on cardiovascular (CV) events among patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) due to lupus nephritis (LN).

Methods: In a nationwide cohort study, we identified all patients with LN-ESRD enrolled in the United States Renal Data System who were waitlisted for a kidney transplant and enrolled in Medicare between January, 2000 and December, 2016. The primary outcome was incident CV events, including myocardial infarctions (MI) and ischemic cerebrovascular accidents (CVA). Read More

PLoS One 2021 10;16(6):e0252979. Epub 2021 Jun 10.

Department of Surgery (Organ Transplantation), Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.

Background: Kidney transplant recipients are a unique cohort in regard to SARS-CoV 2 susceptibility and clinical course, owing to their immunosuppressed state and propensity for kidney injury. The primary purpose of this study is to ascertain if, in kidney transplant recipients, SARS-CoV 2 infection impacts long term renal allograft function.

Methods: This retrospective, single-center study reviewed 53 kidney transplant recipients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR at NMH from January 1, 2020 to June 30, 2020. Read More

Clin Lab 2021 Jun;67(6)

Background: The aim of the study was to explore the association of peripheral leukocyte cell population data (CPD) with acute rejection episodes (ARE) after kidney transplantation surgery and search for potential parameters which contribute to the assessment of the occurrence of ARE.

Methods: A total of 68 patients with kidney transplants were classified into two groups according to the occurrence of ARE or not within three months after transplantation surgery (32 in ARE and 36 in non-ARE group). Hematological parameters including leukocyte CPD and serum biochemical indicators of renal function during occurrence of ARE were collected. Read More

J Pharm Pharm Sci 2021 ;24:292-307

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of hyperuricemia on clinical outcomes of renal transplant recipients (RTRs).

Methods: A literature search of PubMed, Cochrane, Embase was conducted up to March 20, 2020. The primary outcome was the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Read More

Vox Sang 2021 Jun 9. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, New South Wales, Australia.

Background And Objectives: Accurate and regular monitoring of anti-A and anti-B titres pre- and post-transplantation plays a crucial role in the clinical management of patients receiving ABO-incompatible renal transplants. There is no standardized protocol or an external quality assurance program (EQA) currently available for this testing in Australia. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of techniques, test platforms and reagents that were currently in use in various laboratories with the aim of developing an EQA. Read More

Transplant Rev (Orlando) 2021 Jun 1;35(4):100633. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Department of Surgery, Division of HPB & Transplant Surgery, Erasmus MC University Transplant Institute, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

Background: Since the introduction of the Model for End-stage Liver disease criteria in 2002, more combined liver kidney transplants are performed. Until 2017, no standard allocation policy for combined liver kidney transplant (CLKT) was available and each transplant center decided eligibility for CLKT or liver transplant alone (LTA) on a case-by-case basis. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the clinical outcomes of CLKT compared to LTA in patients with renal dysfunction. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 20;12:661643. Epub 2021 May 20.

Comprehensive Transplant Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.

Despite advances in post-transplant management, the long-term survival rate of kidney grafts and patients has not improved as approximately forty percent of transplants fails within ten years after transplantation. Both immunologic and non-immunologic factors contribute to late allograft loss. Chronic kidney transplant rejection (CKTR) is often clinically silent yet progressive allogeneic immune process that leads to cumulative graft injury, deterioration of graft function. Read More

J Clin Psychol Med Settings 2021 Jun 4. Epub 2021 Jun 4.

Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

Like patients with many chronic illnesses, ESRD patients experience psychological challenges with greater incidence of depression and reduced quality of life (QoL). A series of 139 transplant candidates' depression and QoL, and a subset of 82 candidates' medication adherence were monitored, revealing heterogenous patterns of depression and adherence and reduced QoL. Twenty-eight patients who received kidney transplants were re-evaluated 6 months post-transplant revealing mixed patterns. Read More

Exp Clin Transplant 2021 Jun 3. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

From the Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.

Objectives: Deceased donor renal transplant is an accepted treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. We retrospectively analyzed urological and surgical complications and outcomes in our series.

Material And Methods: Since 2016, we have performed 263 renal transplants at the Gazi University Transplantation Center, Ankara, and 92 of these were from deceased donors. Read More

J Heart Lung Transplant 2021 Apr 22. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Center for Populations Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio; Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

Background: To date, no study has evaluated the effects of low center performance evaluations (CPE) on pediatric heart transplant center behavior. We sought to assess the impact of low CPE flags on pediatric heart transplant center listing and transplant volumes and center recipient and donor characteristics.

Methods: We included centers performing at least 10 pediatric (age <18 years) transplants during the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients reporting period January 2009-June 2011 and evaluated consecutive biannual program specific reports until the last reporting period January 2016-June 2018. Read More

J Clin Med 2021 May 5;10(9). Epub 2021 May 5.

Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital "Hippokratio", 54642 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Background/aims: Previous studies showed that two microRNAs, let-7b and miR-148, which regulate the O-glycosylation process of IgA1, may predict diagnosis of primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The combined analysis of their serum levels in calculated statistical models may act as serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of primary IgAN. In the present study, we aimed to assess their impact not only on clinical and histological findings at onset but also on renal function after a long-term follow-up. Read More

Transplantation 2021 06;105(6):e65-e67

Infectious Diseases Unit, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy.

Front Pediatr 2021 11;9:646923. Epub 2021 May 11.

Department of Pediatric Urology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.

To obtain a successful renal transplant (RT) outcome in patients with posterior urethral valves (PUV), it is necessary to accomplish an adequate bladder dysfunction treatment. Our aim was to determine prognostic factors related to bladder dysfunction management in long-term RT outcome in patients with PUV. A retrospective review of patients with PUV who received a first RT after 1985 in our institution with at least 5 years of follow-up was performed. Read More

Pancreatology 2021 May 9. Epub 2021 May 9.

Department of Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.

Background: Simultaneous pancreas kidney transplantation (SPK) is the best therapeutic option for patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and end-stage renal disease. Recently, donor organ extraction time has been shown to affect kidney and liver graft survival. This study aimed to assess the effect of pancreas donor extraction time on graft survival and postoperative complications. Read More

Xenotransplantation 2021 May 25:e12700. Epub 2021 May 25.

Xenotransplantation Program, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.

Pigs deficient in three glycosyltransferase enzymes (triple-knockout [TKO] pigs) and expressing "protective" human transgenes are likely sources of organs for transplantation into human recipients. Testing of human sera against red blood cells (RBCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from TKO pigs has revealed minimal evidence of natural antibody binding. However, unlike humans, baboons exhibit natural antibody binding to TKO pig cells. Read More

Int J Nephrol 2021 6;2021:6665901. Epub 2021 May 6.

Department of Nephrology, Medanta Hospital, Gurugram 122006, India.

Background: The association between economic status and kidney disease is incompletely explored even in countries with higher economy (HE); the situation is complex in lower economies (LE) of South Asia and Southeast Asia (SA and SEA).

Methods: Fifteen countries of SA and SEA categorized as HE and LE, represented by the representatives of the national nephrology societies, participated in this questionnaire and interview-based assessment of the impact of economic status on renal care.

Results: Average incidence and prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) per million population (pmp) are 1. Read More

J Nephrol 2021 May 25. Epub 2021 May 25.

Department of Transplantation, Guy's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

Introduction: Transplanting kidneys small for recipient's size results in inferior graft function. Body surface area (BSA) is related to kidney size. We used the BSA index (BSAi) (Donor BSA/Recipient BSA) to assess whether the renal graft size is sufficient for the recipient. Read More