Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Acta Biomater 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Urology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Eastern Institute of Urologic Reconstruction, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200233 Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Cell-seeded scaffolds are a common route of cell transplantation for bladder repair and reconstruction. However, when cell suspensions are harvested, proteolytic enzymes often cause extracellular matrix damage and loss of intercellular junctions. To overcome this problem, we developed a bioengineered three-dimensional bladder patch comprising porous scaffolds and multilayered adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) sheets, and evaluated its feasibility for bladder regeneration in a rat model. Read More

Xenotransplantation 2018 Dec 15:e12476. Epub 2018 Dec 15.

Section of Cardiovascular, Endocrine and Metabolic Clinical Physiology, and Laboratory for Endocrine Cell Transplants and Biohybrid Organs, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

Background: Our previous in vitro demonstration of the immunoregulatory effects of microencapsulated hUCMS on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) extracted from patients with recent onset, type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), prompted us to test our product for xenograft (TX) in non obese diabetic (NOD) mice with spontaneous DM.

Methods: We transplanted microencapsulated hUCMS into the peritoneal cavity of NOD mice with either severe or mild DM. Blood glucose (BG) levels were monitored following TX, in either basal or upon glucose stimulation. Read More

PLoS One 2018 14;13(12):e0207877. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

Department of Pathology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States of America.

Muscle invasive urothelial carcinomas are divided into various molecular subtypes with basal and luminal subtypes being the prominent ones. The basal muscle-invasive urothelial carcinomas are generally more aggressive at presentation and significantly enriched with squamous features. Our laboratory has developed an in-vitro model of urothelial cancer by transforming the immortalized cell line UROtsa with arsenite (As3+) and cadmium (Cd2+). Read More

Isr Med Assoc J 2018 Dec;20(12):765-769

Department of Transplantation, Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Campus), Petah Tikva, Israel.

Background: The lack of organs for liver transplantation has prompted transplant professionals to study potential solutions, such as the use of livers from donors older than 70 years. This strategy is not widely accepted because potential risks of vascular and biliary complications and recurrence of hepatitis C.

Objectives: To examine the efficacy and safety of liver grafts from older donors for transplantation. Read More

Transpl Int 2018 Dec 14. Epub 2018 Dec 14.

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

Blood group O or B recipients wait longer for a kidney transplant. We studied the distribution of anti-ABO blood group antibody titres in patients awaiting a kidney transplant, and modelled the effect of altering the UK National Kidney Allocation Scheme to allow for patients with 'LOW' titres (≤1:8, ≤3 dilutions) to receive a deceased donor ABOi (ddABOi) transplant. In a prospective study of 239 adult patients on the waiting list for a transplant in 2 UK centres, ABO-antibody titres (anti-A and anti-B) were measured. Read More

Clin Transplant 2018 Dec 13:e13463. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Urology and Nephrology Center, Nephrology division, Mansoura University, Egypt.

In a prospective randomized controlled trial, between May 2001 and January 2003, 132 live donor kidney transplant recipients were randomized to receive sirolimus primary immunosuppression, either in combination with low dose tacrolimus (TAC group) or in combination with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF group). We have previously reported on two and five year- follow up results, with favorable patient and graft outcomes obtained in both groups. In view of recent published reports of increased risk of inferior outcomes among sirolimus- treated patients, we herein present results of an observational extension of the previously randomized patients 15 years post -transplantation. Read More

Clin Transplant 2018 Dec 13:e13462. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90095.

Employment status may capture elements of patients' physical strength, mental resilience, and socioeconomic status to better prognosticate transplant outcomes. This study characterized the effect of working status on thoracic transplant outcomes by evaluating the United Network for Organ Sharing registry for adult lung or heart transplants from 2005 to 2016. Kaplan-Meier estimates illustrated 5-year and 10-year survival by working status at transplant, while multivariable Cox proportional hazards regressions controlled for baseline differences, including functional and socioeconomic status. Read More

Liver Transpl 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Anesthesia, University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL.

Detrimental consequences of hypofibrinolysis, also known as fibrinolytic shutdown (FS), have recently arisen, and its significance in liver transplantation remains unknown. To fill this gap, this retrospective study included 166 adults who received transplants between 2016 and 2018 for whom baseline thromboelastography was available. Based on percent (%) clot lysis 30 minutes after maximal amplitude, patients were stratified into 3 fibrinolysis phenotypes: FS, physiologic fibrinolysis, and hyperfibrinolysis. Read More

AIDS Rev 2018 ;20(4):220-225

Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational AIDS Research, Philadelphia, USA.

Here, we review the progress that has been made in achieving a cure of HIV-1 infection. To date, this has only occurred in one person after he received allogeneic stem cell transplants from a CCR5 ∆32 homozygous donor in addition to chemotherapy and radiation to treat his acute myelocytic leukemia. The general consensus is that achieving a sustained remission of infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy will involve a combination of strategies that involve both the targeting of the latent proviral genome and the induction of more effective anti-HIV-1 immune responses. Read More

J Neurosci 2018 Dec 13. Epub 2018 Dec 13.

Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain

TRPM8 is a polymodal, non-selective cation channel activated by cold temperature and cooling agents that plays a critical role in the detection of environmental cold. We found that TRPM8 is a pharmacological target of tacrolimus (FK506), a macrolide immunosuppressant with several clinical uses, including the treatment of organ rejection following transplants, treatment of atopic dermatitis and dry eye disease. Tacrolimus is an inhibitor of the phosphatase calcineurin, an action shared with cyclosporine. Read More

ILAR J 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Translational Medicine and The Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.

For more than a century, transplantation of tissues and organs from animals into man, xenotransplantation, has been viewed as a potential way to treat disease. Ironically, interest in xenotransplantation was fueled especially by successful application of allotransplantation, that is, transplantation of human tissue and organs, as a treatment for a variety of diseases, especially organ failure because scarcity of human tissues limited allotransplantation to a fraction of those who could benefit. In principle, use of animals such as pigs as a source of transplants would allow transplantation to exert a vastly greater impact than allotransplantation on medicine and public health. Read More

Rev Gastroenterol Peru 2018 Jul-Sep;38(3):242-247

Departamento de Trasplantes, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara. Lima, Perú.

Introduction: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a serious complication of liver disease, which is characterized by the presence of intrapulmonary vasodilation and progressive hypoxemia. Liver transplantation is the only effective treatment.

Objective: To show our results of patients with hepatopulmonary syndrome undergoing liver transplantation. Read More

Rev Gastroenterol Peru 2018 Jul-Sep;38(3):234-241

Departamento de Trasplante de órganos, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen. Lima, Perú.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a neoplasm with significant incidence and prevalence in the world. In large percentage it originates from a cirrhotic liver. Liver transplantation under special conditions is effective in the simultaneous treatment of both conditions. Read More

Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Transplant Nephrology, Keck Hospital of USC, California, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Delayed graft function (DGF) has several long-term graft implications in the field of kidney transplantation and remains a challenge. The incidence of DGF is on the rise because of an increasing use of marginal kidneys in an era of organ shortage. Risk factors for DGF are numerous and stem from multiple sources in the transplant chain starting from the donor to its final allocation in the recipient. Read More

J Card Fail 2018 Dec 26;24(12):860-863. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Heart Transplant Program, Division of Cardiology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil; National Health Technology Assessment Institute, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: Advanced heart failure (HF) therapies, such as heart transplantation, are resource intensive and costly. In Brazil, only one-fifth of the estimated population need is fulfilled. We examined cost expenditures of heart transplants in a public institution in Brazil. Read More

Pediatr Transplant 2018 Dec 7:e13327. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Our main goal with this study was to share our off-label experience with CEUS for identifying circulatory complications after liver transplantation in children. A total of 74 CEUS examinations performed on 34 pediatric patients who underwent a liver transplant were retrospectively included. About 53% of the examinations were performed on children 2 years old or younger. Read More

Transplant Direct 2018 Nov 25;4(11):e404. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX.

Background: With the increase of primary lung transplantation across major centers worldwide, over the last several years the need of lung retransplant (ReTX) is likely to increase. Therefore, characterization of ReTX patients is prudent and necessary. Our study aimed to investigate and characterize the covariates and outcomes associated with lung ReTX survival in a single large U. Read More

World J Hepatol 2018 Nov;10(11):822-836

Central Laboratory for Stem Cell Research and Translational Medicine, Centre for Liver Research and Diagnostics, Deccan College of Medical Sciences, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad 500058, Telangana, India.

End stage liver diseases (ESLD) represent a major, neglected global public health crisis which requires an urgent action towards finding a proper cure. Orthotropic liver transplantation has been the only definitive treatment modality for ESLD. However, shortage of donor organs, timely unavailability, post-surgery related complications and financial burden on the patients limits the number of patients receiving the transplants. Read More

Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Heart Failure Research Group, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute.

Purpose Of Review: To summarize evidence supporting that microorganisms colonizing our gastrointestinal tract, collectively known as the gut microbiota, are implicated in the development and maintenance of hypertension in experimental models.

Recent Findings: The use of gnotobiotic (germ-free) mice has been essential for advancement in this area: they develop higher blood pressure (BP) if they receive faecal transplants from hypertensive patients compared to normotensive donors, and germ-free mice have a blunted response to angiotensin II. Experimental hypertension is consistently accompanied by changes in the composition of the gut microbiota. Read More

J Am Soc Nephrol 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

Background: The immediate and longer-term effects of hemodialysis on cerebral circulation, cerebral structure, and cognitive function are poorly understood.

Methods: In a prospective observational cohort study of 97 adults (median age 59 years) receiving chronic hemodialysis, we used transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure cerebral arterial mean flow velocity (MFV) throughout dialysis. Using a well validated neuropsychological protocol, we assessed cognitive function during and off dialysis and after 12 months of treatment. Read More

Biomaterials 2018 Nov 27;192:537-550. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Human cardiomyocytes (CM) differentiated from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are relatively immature when generated in two-dimensional (2D) in vitro cultures, which limits their biomedical applications. Here, we devised a strategy to enhance maturation of human CM in vitro by assembly of three-dimensional (3D) cardiac organoids (CO) containing human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac progenitor cells (hESC-CPCs), endothelial cells (ECs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). In contrast to corresponding 2D cultures, 3D CO not only developed into structures containing spontaneously beating CM, but also showed enhanced maturity as indicated by increased expressions of sarcomere and ion channel genes and reduced proliferation. Read More

Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Liver Unit, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Electronic address:

Background & Aims: Despite increasing reports of pregnancy in women who received liver transplants, it is not clear how transplantation and immunosuppression affect pregnancy. We collected data from liver transplant recipients who became pregnant on immunosuppression regimens, pregnancy management, graft morbidity, and outcomes of mothers and neonates.

Methods: We searched the liver transplant database in Birmingham, United Kingdom, for women who reported pregnancy after liver transplantation from August 1986 through May 2016. Read More

Transfus Med Rev 2018 Nov 12. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Medicine, Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Although peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) have worldwide become the predominant source of progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), debate about their role compared with bone marrow (BM) has recently intensified, in large part based on the results of a multicenter Clinical Trials Network study which showed lower incidence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and improved quality of life in recipients of myeloablative HLA-matched unrelated BM compared with PBSC transplants. However, in certain patient populations, PBSC may lead to improved clinical outcomes due to faster hematologic recovery, a lower risk of graft failure, and possibly a lower probability of relapse. This review will provide a comprehensive summary of studies comparing PBSC with BM as the graft source in terms of acute and chronic GVHD incidence, time to engraftment, and disease-free and overall survival probabilities after HLA-matched related and unrelated donor transplantation and haploidentical donor transplantation. Read More

Neurosci Lett 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Institute of Technical Sciences of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Belgrade, Serbia.

Introduction: The application of low-intensity electrical stimulation (LIES) to neural tissue increases neurochemical factors responsible for regeneration as nerve growth factor. Stem cell (SC) therapy for patients with Spinal cord injury (SCI) promote some increase functional improvement.

Objective: Investigate the electromyographic response in paraplegic dogs undergoing LIES and SC transplantation. Read More

Cleve Clin J Med 2018 Dec;85(12):931-937

Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.

Research continues toward the goal of treating type 1 diabetes by replacing insulin-producing beta cells. Ideally, such treatment would be safe and long-lasting and would eliminate the need for subcutaneous insulin replacement. This article reviews the current state of beta-cell replacement through transplant of the whole pancreas or of islet cells. Read More

Int J Surg 2018 Dec 3;60:283-290. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

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

Background: There is well-documented systemic inflammatory response in xenograft recipients to the presence of a pig graft. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an inflammatory marker that is elevated in various pathological states. The assay used to measure it is (i) simple, (ii) relatively inexpensive, and (iii) provides an answer within minutes. Read More

Cancer 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Hematology, Catholic Hematology Hospital, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.

Background: The sensitivity of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) to reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) versus myeloablative conditioning (MAC) allogeneic HCT by minimal residual disease (MRD) kinetics is not well established.

Methods: This study compared long-term outcomes based on MRD kinetics for 79 patients with RIC transplants and 116 patients with MAC transplants in first complete remission (CR1) after tyrosine kinase inhibitor-based chemotherapy (median follow-up, 67.1 months). Read More

Health Serv Res 2018 Dec 5. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire.

Objective: To assess the relationship between the 2007 Medicare regulation enforcing quality standards for transplant centers and trends in kidney transplantation.

Data Sources: Transplant centers' biannual reports and the national registry for kidney transplantation from 2003 to 2010.

Study Design: Non-compliant (low-performing) centers were compared with centers in compliance with quality standards according to: number of transplants, waiting-list registrations, and rates of graft failures, transfers, and deaths. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2018 1;2018:8217486. Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Institute of Liver Transplantation, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Beijing, China.

Background: Organ transplantation is considered the best treatment for end-stage organ failure. However, the lack of available organs for transplantation and the increasing number of patients waiting for transplants are primary issues facing the transplant community. Thus, developing strategies to increase the number of donors, especially for liver transplantation, has become a priority. Read More

J Biomed Mater Res A 2018 Dec 3. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Organ Transplantation Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia.

Decellularized liver scaffolds based liver engineering is a promising approach toward developing functional liver surrogates. However, a major obstacle to long-term transplantation is the hemocompatibility of the bioengineered liver surrogates. One approach to improve the hemocompatibility of engineered liver surrogates is re-endothelialization. Read More

Nephrol Dial Transplant 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Faculty of Health and Life Science, Institute of Learning and Teaching, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.

The presence of pre-formed donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) in kidney transplantation is associated with worse overall outcomes compared with DSA-negative transplantation. A positive complement-dependant cytotoxic crossmatch presents a high immunological risk, while a negative flow cytometry crossmatch is at the lower end of the risk spectrum. Yet, the presence of low-level DSA detected by Luminex alone, that is, positive Luminex and negative flow (PLNF) cytometry crossmatch lacks robust scientific exploration. Read More

Curr Opin Organ Transplant 2018 Nov 30. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Arnav Mahajan contributed equally to this work.

Purpose Of Review: Kidney transplantation indisputably confers a significant survival advantage and a better quality of life compared with dialysis, however, because of the increasing demand for kidney transplantation many patients continue to wait prolonged periods for kidney transplantation. The first step to alleviate the shortage is to reduce the discard rate by utilizing more marginal kidneys. This review studied the recent literature on marginal kidney transplantation. Read More

Liver Transpl 2018 Dec 2. Epub 2018 Dec 2.

Division of Nephrology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX.

The number of simultaneous liver kidney transplant (SLKT) and the concomitant use of induction therapy have increased over the last decade. However, there is little data comparing outcomes amongst induction agents in the context of maintenance immunosuppression regimen consisting of tacrolimus and mycophenolic acid (TAC/MPA). We queried the OPTN registry for SLKT recipients maintained on TAC/MPA at discharge in the U. Read More

Kidney Blood Press Res 2018 Nov 30;43(6):1813-1821. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Kidney Disease Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.

Background/aims: Hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an important renal replacement method in patients with delayed graft function (DGF) after kidney transplantation; however, it is not clear which dialysis modality is superior. This study determined the impact of different dialysis modalities on patients with DGF.

Methods: It was a single-center, retrospective and descriptive study. Read More

Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2018 Nov;2018(1):467-473

Department of Hematology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment for patients with acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA). When a matched sibling is not available, one can search for a matched unrelated donor or a cord blood unit (CB) in the international registries or, more recently, for an HLA haploidentical (HAPLO) family member. International guidelines call for a course of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine before a patient with SAA receives a transplant from a donor other than an HLA identical sibling, but whether this is necessary for patients age <20 years is less clear. Read More

Hematology Am Soc Hematol Educ Program 2018 Nov;2018(1):361-370

University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Transfusion combined with chelation therapy for severe β thalassemia syndromes (transfusion-dependent thalassemia [TDT]) has been successful in extending life expectancy, decreasing comorbidities and improving quality of life. However, this puts lifelong demands not only on the patients but also on the health care systems that are tasked with delivering long-term treatment and comprehensive support. Prevention programs and curative approaches are therefore an important part of overall strategy. Read More

Stem Cell Reports 2018 Dec 29;11(6):1416-1432. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan; Electron Microscope Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. Electronic address:

Treatment involving regenerative medicine for chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) is difficult due to phase-dependent changes in the intraspinal environment. We previously reported that treatment with a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI), which inhibits Notch signaling, promotes the differentiation into mature neurons in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cell (hiPSC-NS/PC) transplantation for subacute SCI. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of GSI-treated hiPSC-NS/PC transplantation in treating chronic SCI, which resulted in significantly enhanced axonal regrowth, remyelination, inhibitory synapse formation with the host neural circuitry, and reticulo spinal tract fiber formation. Read More

Can J Ophthalmol 2018 Dec 9;53(6):580-587. Epub 2018 May 9.

Keenan Research Centre at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ont; Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.. Electronic address:

Objective: To assess trends in surgical procedures and indications for all corneal transplants performed at the University of Toronto.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional study.

Participants: One thousand one hundred and four consecutive corneal transplants performed at the Kensington Eye Institute (KEI). Read More

Transplant Rev (Orlando) 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States; Division of Transplantation Surgery, Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States. Electronic address:

Combined liver-lung transplantation (CLLT) is a rare, life-saving procedure to treat concomitant lung and liver disease. There have been 93 combined lung and liver transplantations performed in the United States since 1994. Techniques include both lung first and liver first sequential transplants with selective extracorporeal circulation of either thoracic or abdominal portions, with either end-to-end or Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy for biliary reconstruction. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Director of Mohs Micrographic and Dermatologic Surgery, Clinical Professor in the Department of Dermatology, University of California San Diego. Electronic address:

Background: Many patients undergoing Mohs micrographic surgery for basal and squamous cell carcinomas are immunocompromised, yet post-operative complications associated with different types of immunosuppression are largely unstudied.

Objective: To determine the incidence and nature of post-operative complications in immunosuppressed patients undergoing Mohs surgery.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional chart review of patient characteristics, clinical characteristics, and complications. Read More

J Heart Lung Transplant 2018 Oct 17. Epub 2018 Oct 17.

Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lund University and Skane University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

Background: Recipient age and donor age are well-known prognostic factors in adult heart transplantation. However, the association between donor age and recipient age and their interaction and short- and long-term mortality is unknown.

Methods: We studied 64,354 heart transplants to adult recipients between 1988 and 2013 in the ISHLT Registry. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2018 Dec;28(12):941-944

Department of Anesthesia, Hamid Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center, Sabah Health Region, Kuwait.

Objective: To evaluate the postoperative surgical complications of live unrelated renal transplantation (LURRT) done abroad for patients of end stage renal disease (ESRD) who needed renal replacement therapy (RRT) in an organ transplant centre.

Study Design: Descriptive, observational study.

Place And Duration Of Study: Department of Renal Transplantation, Hamed Al-Essa Organ Transplant Center, Kuwait, from January 1993 to December 2015. Read More

Exp Clin Transplant 2018 Nov 28. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

From the Division of Transplantation, The Ohio State University Wexner Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Objectives: Large spontaneous splenorenal shunts can result in portal vein steal syndrome and is a risk factor for portal vein thrombosis after orthotopic liver transplant. Disconnection of these shunts by left renal vein ligation has been suggested as a potential technique for improving portal venous flow and mitigating risk of portal vein thrombus, thus improving graft perfusion. We present a series of 6 patients who underwent left renal vein ligation for spontaneous splenorenal shunts and their outcomes. Read More

Genes (Basel) 2018 Nov 29;9(12). Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Biogen, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.

Fibroblasts/myofibroblasts are the key effector cells responsible for excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition and fibrosis progression in both idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) patient lungs, thus it is critical to understand the transcriptomic and proteomic programs underlying their fibrogenic activity. We conducted the first integrative analysis of the fibrotic programming in these cells at the levels of gene and microRNA (miRNA) expression, as well as deposited ECM protein to gain insights into how fibrotic transcriptional programs culminate in aberrant ECM protein production/deposition. We identified messenger RNA (mRNA), miRNA, and deposited matrisome protein signatures for IPF and SSc fibroblasts obtained from lung transplants using next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry. Read More

Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2018 Dec 4. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Division of Immunology, Transplants and Infectious Diseases, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan. Italy.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are mesodermal elements characterized by the ability to differentiate into several types of cells present mainly in connective tissues. They play a key function in tissue homeostasis and repair. Furthermore, they exert a strong effect on both innate and adaptive immune response. Read More

Pediatr Transplant 2018 Dec 4:e13332. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington.

ABO-i heart transplantation can be performed in infants with end-stage heart failure to increase organ availability. The development of newly detected DSAs is associated with decreased cardiac graft survival, and the effect of ABO-i transplantation on DSA production is unknown. We examined DSA production and rejection frequency in infant recipients of ABO-i and ABO-c heart transplants via a retrospective cohort study of infant heart transplant recipients transplanted at a single pediatric center between January 2004 and November 2014. Read More

J Obstet Gynaecol Can 2018 Dec 1. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC. Electronic address:

Objective: This study sought to evaluate perceptions and insights regarding uterine transplantation among members of a women's health care national specialty organization in Canada.

Methods: The investigators obtained permission and used an electronic survey developed by Bortoletto et al. to conduct a cross-sectional study of members of the SOGC between April and May 2018. Read More

JAAD Case Rep 2018 Nov 14;4(10):1055-1058. Epub 2018 Nov 14.

Department of Dermatology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.

Cureus 2018 Sep 26;10(9):e3363. Epub 2018 Sep 26.

Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, USA.

Unlike pediatric kidney donors, there is no literature regarding the growth of pediatric donor pancreatic transplant grafts. Our center prospectively followed three pediatric donor grafts after transplant by measuring two dimensions of the graft at postoperative day one and then at one, two, and three months post-transplant surgery with the hypothesis that the grafted pancreas would not grow like pediatric kidney donors given the fundamental physiologic differences between these two organs. Two grafts were stable to minimally larger in size, the third case decreased in size. Read More

BMC Nephrol 2018 Dec 3;19(1):344. Epub 2018 Dec 3.

Department of Renal Medicine, The Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden, Canberra, ACT 2605, Australia.

Background: Recurrence of primary glomerulonephritis in the post-transplant period has been described in the literature but the risk remains poorly quantified and its impact on allograft outcomes and implications for subsequent transplants remain under-examined. Here we describe the rates and timing of post-transplant glomerulonephritis recurrence for IgA nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, mesangiocapillary GN and membranous GN based on 28 years of ANZDATA registry transplant data.

Methods: We investigated the rates of GN recurrence and subsequent graft outcomes in 7236 patient from 28 years of ANZDATA transplant registry data. Read More