Cryopreserved arterial allografts used for the treatment of infected vascular grafts.

In this study, 18 patients (17 men and 1 woman; mean age 61 years) with a previously infected vascular graft underwent vascular reconstruction with cryopreserved arterial allografts. Treatment consisted of first total (n = 11) or partial removal (n = 7) of infected prosthetic grafts. Revascularizations were aortoaortic (n = 2), aortobifemoral (n = 8), aortounifemoral (n = 3), femorofemoral (n = 2), iliofemoral (n = 1), or femoropopliteal (n = 2) bypasses.

[HIV virus and orthopedic surgery].

The risks of HIV viral transmission by blood transfusion or by bone transplantation during planned surgical orthopaedic procedures has been studied from French epidemiological data on the subject. The authors outline methods which may be used to reduce these risks: planned auto-transfusion of blood, serological assessment of a donor and quarantine of allograft material. Finally, the authors have examined the risks of contamination of the surgical team during an operation.

Functional analysis of CD8 lymphocytes in long-term surviving patients after bone marrow transplantation.

The recovery of T-cell populations after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is characterized by a persistent expansion of CD8 lymphocytes. Previously, we have shown that beyond 1 year posttransplantation the CD8 lymphocytes consist, to a large extent, of CD8+ HNK1+ cells that suppress, like normal CD8 lymphocytes, immunoglobulin production in vitro. We have further investigated the functional capabilities of CD8 lymphocytes, mostly HNK1+ (from 50 to 77%), in seven long-term BMT patients.