Sex and the Relationship Between Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Estimated GFR Decline: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective: Females have a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) than males but are less likely to be treated with kidney replacement therapy (KRT). We studied the interaction between sex and the association of cardiometabolic risk factors for the decline in kidney function over time.

Study Design: A population-based cohort study.

Transmission and Non-transmission of Melanoma From Deceased Solid Organ Donors to Transplant Recipients: Risks and Missed Opportunities.

Background: Biovigilance concerns are in tension with the need to increase organ donation. Cancer transmission risk from donor to recipient may be overestimated, as non-transmission events are rarely reported. We sought to estimate melanoma transmission risk in deceased organ donation and identify missed opportunities for donation in an Australian cohort with high melanoma prevalence.

Relative survival in patients with cancer and kidney failure.

Background: The population with kidney failure is at increased risk of cancer and associated mortality. Relative survival can provide insight into the excess mortality, directly or indirectly, attributed to cancer in the population with kidney failure.

Methods: We estimated relative survival for people all ages receiving dialysis (n = 4089) and kidney transplant recipients (n = 3253) with de novo cancer, and for the general population with cancer in Australia and New Zealand (n = 3 043 166) over the years 1980-2019.

Sex differences in associations between creatinine and cystatin C-based kidney function measures with stroke and major bleeding.

Purpose: We sought to explore whether adding kidney function biomarkers based on creatinine (eGFR), cystatin C (eGFR) or a combination of the two (eGFR) could improve risk stratification for stroke and major bleeding, and whether there were sex differences in any additive value of kidney function biomarkers.

Method: We included participants from the UK Biobank who had not had a previous ischaemic or haemorrhagic stroke or major bleeding episode, and who had kidney function measures available at baseline. Cause-specific Cox proportional hazards models tested associations between eGFR, eGFR and eGFR (mL/min/1.

Cost-effectiveness of Interventions to Increase Utilization of Kidneys From Deceased Donors With Primary Brain Malignancy in an Australian Setting.

Unlabelled: Kidneys from potential deceased donors with brain cancer are often foregone due to concerns of cancer transmission risk to recipients. There may be uncertainty around donors' medical history and their absolute transmission risk or risk-averse decision-making among clinicians. However, brain cancer transmissions are rare, and prolonging waiting time for recipients is harmful.

Potential organ donors with primary brain tumours: missed opportunities for donation and transplantation identified in Australian cohort study 2010-2015.

Background: Potential organ donors with primary brain tumours (PBT) frequently donate, however some may be declined due to uncertainty about tumour classification or transmission risk to transplant recipients. We sought to describe transmission risk and donation outcome of potential donors with PBT, including identifying missed opportunities for transplantation, and any PBT transmission events.

Methods: We undertook a population-based cohort study in NSW of all potential donors 2010-2015.

Notifiable Infectious Diseases Among Organ Transplant Recipients: A Data-Linked Cohort Study, 2000-2015.

Background: Infections, including common communicable infections such as influenza, frequently cause disease after organ transplantation, although the quantitative extent of infection and disease remains uncertain.

Methods: A cohort study was conducted to define the burden of notifiable infectious diseases among all solid organ recipients transplanted in New South Wales, Australia, 2000-2015. Data linkage was used to connect transplant registers to hospital admissions, notifiable diseases, and the death register.

Cancer Mortality in People Receiving Dialysis for Kidney Failure: An Australian and New Zealand Cohort Study, 1980-2013.

Rationale & Objective: Cancer is a significant cause of morbidity in the population with kidney failure; however, cancer mortality in people undergoing dialysis has not been well described. We sought to compare cancer mortality in people on dialysis for kidney failure with cancer mortality in the general population.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study using linked health-administrative and dialysis registry data.

Perceived Versus Verified Cancer History and Missed Opportunities for Donation in an Australian Cohort of Potential Deceased Solid Organ Donors.

Background: There is an imperative to maximize donation opportunities given ongoing organ shortages, but donor suitability assessments can be challenging.

Methods: We analyzed an Australian cohort of potential deceased donors 2010 to 2013 to explore misclassification of cancer risk and potential strategies for improvement (decision support, real-time data linkage to existing data sets, and increasing risk tolerance). Cancer history perceived at referral was compared with verified cancer history in linked health records.

Prevalence of anal cytological abnormalities and high-risk human papillomavirus prevalence in kidney transplant recipients: A cross-sectional study.

Transplant recipients are at high-risk of anal squamous cell cancer. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and assess characteristics associated with results METHODS: We recruited kidney transplant recipients in a single-center, 2015-2018. Participants completed a clinical questionnaire and received an anal-swab sent for HPV-DNA and cytological testing RESULTS: A total of 97 (74%) of 125 recipients approached consented to participate.

Cancer transmissions and non-transmissions from solid organ transplantation in an Australian cohort of deceased and living organ donors.

Evidence on cancer transmission from organ transplantation is poor. We sought to identify cases of cancer transmission or non-transmission from transplantation in an Australian cohort of donors and recipients. We included NSW solid organ deceased donors 2000-2012 and living donors 2004-2012 in a retrospective cohort using linked data from the NSW Biovigilance Register (SAFEBOD).

Characteristics and Donation Outcomes of Potential Organ Donors Perceived to Be at Increased Risk for Blood-borne Virus Transmission: An Australian Cohort Study 2010-2018.

Background: Safely increasing organ donation to meet need is a priority. Potential donors may be declined because of perceived blood-borne virus (BBV) transmission risk. With hepatitis C (HCV) curative therapy, more potential donors may now be suitable.

Effect of language and country of birth on the consent process and medical suitability of potential organ donors; a linked-data cohort study 2010-2015.

Purpose: Australia has unmet need for transplantation. We sought to assess the impact of cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) on family consent and medical suitability for organ donation.

Method: Cohort study of New South Wales donor referrals, 2010-2015.

Epidemiology and Comorbidity Burden of Organ Donor Referrals in Australia: Cohort Study 2010-2015.

Unlabelled: Increasing organ donation rates in Australia have been exceeded by a rise in potential donor referrals not proceeding to donate. Referral evaluation is resource-intensive. We sought to characterize organ donor referrals in New South Wales, Australia, and identify predictors of referrals not proceeding to donation.

Cancer mortality in kidney transplant recipients: An Australian and New Zealand population-based cohort study, 1980-2013.

Cancer burden is increasing in kidney transplant recipients, but differences in mortality compared to the general population remain unclear. We sought to compare cancer mortality in paediatric and adult kidney transplant recipients with the general population and describe any differences, by site, age and sex, country and over time. We included kidney transplant recipients from the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation Registry, 1980-2013.

Transplant Recipients and Anal Neoplasia Study: Design, Methods, and Participant Characteristics of a Prevalence Study.

Kidney recipients have anal cancer rates 3 times higher than the general population in Australia and New Zealand. High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes are implicated in the majority of anal cancers. Establishing the epidemiology of anal HPV infection and precursors of anal cancer in transplant recipient populations is 1 consideration in any potential screening program.

Weekend effect: analysing temporal trends in solid organ donation.

Background: Research suggests patients treated over weekends experience poorer outcomes. Only one US-based study explored this weekend effect in organ donation, specifically the kidney discard rate. In Australia potential donors are referred to a donation service, and donation proceeds if family consent is granted and the donor is deemed medically suitable to donate.

Next Generation Sequencing of Circulating Cell-Free DNA for Evaluating Mutations and Gene Amplification in Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer tissues are heterogeneous and show diverse somatic mutations and somatic copy number alterations (CNAs). We used a novel targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) panel to examine cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect somatic mutations and gene amplification in women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Methods: cfDNA from pretreated patients (n = 42) and 9 healthy controls were compared with matched lymphocyte DNA by NGS, using a custom 158 amplicon panel covering hot-spot mutations and CNAs in 16 genes, with further validation of results by droplet digital PCR.

Mutation Analysis of Cell-Free DNA and Single Circulating Tumor Cells in Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients with High Circulating Tumor Cell Counts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to directly compare mutation profiles in multiple single circulating tumor cells (CTC) and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) isolated from the same blood samples taken from patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We aimed to determine whether cfDNA would reflect the heterogeneity observed in 40 single CTCs.

Experimental Design: CTCs were enumerated by CELLSEARCH.