Implications for the usage of the left lateral liver graft for infants ≤10 kg, irrespective of a large-for-size situation--are monosegmental grafts redundant?

Organ donor shortage for infant liver transplant recipients has lead to an increase in splitting and living donation. For cases in which even transplantation of the left lateral graft (Couinaud's segments II + III) results in a "large for size situation" with an estimated graft body weight ratio (GBWR) of >4%, monosegmental liver transplantation was developed. This, however, bears complications because of greater parenchymal surface and suboptimal vascular flow.

[Living donation liver transplantation in children].

Liver transplantation is the first-line therapy for children with acute and chronic hepatic failure, metabolic liver diseases and liver tumors. As most of the children with end-stage liver disease are very small in stature the resources of compatible organs of deceased donors are limited. Living liver donation was able to nearly eliminate waiting list mortality with excellent patient and graft survival.

WOFIE stimulates regulatory T cells: a 2-year follow-up of renal transplant recipients.

Background: Initial interruption of immunosuppression for 72 hr was analyzed in renal transplant recipients according to Calne et al.'s "window of opportunity for immunologic engagement" (WOFIE) concept.

Methods: This pilot study was designed as a randomized, open-label, prospective trial of 40 recipients (20 in the WOFIE group, 20 in the control group) of cadaveric kidney transplants who were followed up for 2 years.

Multipotent cells of monocytic origin improve damaged heart function.

Recently, we generated cells with multipotent properties from blood monocytes that in vitro differentiate into various somatic cell types. This experimental study investigated whether these programmable cells of monocytic origin (PCMO) succeed to restore left ventricular function after myocardial infarction (MI). PCMO were generated from monocytes by exposition to RPMI medium containing M-CSF and IL-3 for 6 days.

[Significance of allopeptide-induced expression of Fas ligand (FasL) in parenchyma of allogenic heart transplants as the cause of donor-specific tolerance induction].

This study proves the tolerogenicity of polymorphic allopeptides. Combined administration of peptides derived from the alpha 1 (intrathymal) and the alpha 2 (intraperitoneal) helical region of the donor RT1.A(a) molecule induced specific tolerance in a rat model of cardiac allotransplantation.