Long-term outcomes of living donor kidney transplants in pediatric recipients following laparoscopic vs. open donor nephrectomy.

We compared long-term outcomes of LDKT in pediatric recipients following either laparoscopic (LDN) or ODN. In our retrospective single-center study, we compared 38 pediatric LDKT recipients of a laparoscopically procured kidney with a historic ODN group comprising 17 pediatric recipients. In our center, the first pure laparoscopic non-hand-assisted LDN for a pediatric LDKT recipient was performed in June 2001.

Determinants of bioartificial myocardial graft survival and engraftment in vivo.

Background: The specific interactions between tissue-engineered grafts and host tissue are frequently neglected. The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the fate of a tissue-engineered cardiac graft in vivo.

Methods: Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cast into a collagen mesh, forming a bioartificial myocardial tissue (AMT).

The ratio of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to prostate volume (PSA density) as a parameter to improve the detection of prostate carcinoma in PSA values in the range of < 4 ng/mL.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the prostate specific antigen (PSA) density (PSAD) (the quotient of PSA and prostate volume) compared with the percent free PSA (%fPSA) in different total PSA (tPSA) ranges from 2 ng/mL to 20 ng/mL. Possible cut-off levels depending on the tPSA should be established.

Methods: In total, 1809 men with no pretreatment of the prostate were enrolled between 1996 and 2004.

Bioartificial grafts for transmural myocardial restoration: a new cardiovascular tissue culture concept.

Objective: Survival of bioartificial grafts that are destined to restore cardiac function stands and falls with their nutrient supply. Engineering of myocardial tissue is limited because of lack of vascularization. We introduce a new concept to obtain bioartificial myocardial grafts in which perfusion by a macroscopic core vessel is simulated.