Effects of everolimus plus minimized tacrolimus on kidney function in liver transplantation: REDUCE, a prospective, randomized controlled study.

Background And Aim: reduction in calcineurin inhibitor levels is considered crucial to decrease the incidence of kidney dysfunction in liver transplant (LT) recipients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and impact of everolimus plus reduced tacrolimus (EVR + rTAC) vs. mycophenolate mofetil plus tacrolimus (MMF + TAC) on kidney function in LT recipients from Spain.

Avances en tumores del estroma gastrointestinal: ¿hacia dónde vamos?

Gastrointestinal Stromal Sarcomas (GIST) are mesenchymal neoplasms whose incidence accounts for 1-2% of digestive tumors, being located in the stomach (55-60%) and small intestine (30%). The advances in its knowledge and management succeeded in the last years have being spectacular. This review aims to summarize the most important of them for surgeons.

Emergent endoscopic ultrasound-guided cholecystoduodenostomy does not prevent R0 resection in a pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage, mainly choledochoduodenostomy, is commonly used as rescue therapy after Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in malignant distal biliary obstruction due to un-resectable pancreatic cancer. An alternative when the cystic duct is patent and choledochoduodenostomy is not feasible is performing an Endoscopic Ultrasound-gallbladder drainage. The advent of the Lumen Apposing Metal Stents (LAMS) has shortened and simplified this procedure.

Results of a survey on peri-operative nutritional support in pancreatic and biliary surgery in Spain.

Introduction: a survey on peri-operative nutritional support in pancreatic and biliary surgery among Spanish hospitals in 2007 showed that few surgical groups followed the 2006 ESPEN guidelines. Ten years later we sent a questionnaire to check the current situation. Methods: a questionnaire with 21 items sent to 38 centers, related to fasting time before and after surgery, nutritional screening use and type, time and type of peri-operative nutritional support, and number of procedures.

A multidrug LC-MS/MS method for the determination of five immunosuppressants in oral fluid.

This study aimed: to develop and validate an LC-MS/MS method for mycophenolic acid, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus and cyclosporin A in oral fluid (OF), as an essential tool to study the usefulness of OF as an alternative matrix for immunossuppressants' therapeutic drug monitoring; and to find the best OF collector for these analytes. Chromatographic separation was achieved using an XBridge Shield RP18 analytical column maintained at 65ºC, using 2 mM ammonium formate and 0.1% formic acid in water (A) and acetonitrile (B) as mobile phase.

Recommendations of everolimus use in liver transplant.

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors, everolimus (EVL) and sirolimus are immunosuppressive agents with a minor nephrotoxic effect, limited to the development of proteinuria in some cases. The combination of EVL and low-dose tacrolimus has proven to be as safe and effective as standard therapy with tacrolimus for the prevention of acute cellular rejection. Early initiation of EVL-based immunosuppressive regimens with reduced exposure to calcineurin inhibitors has been shown to significantly improve renal function of LT recipients during induction and maintenance phases, with comparable efficacy and safety profiles.

Thoracic aortic cannulation with antegrade perfusion for the procurement of abdominal organs.

The definitive acceptance of an organ as valid for transplant depends on the surgical team performing the multiorgan recovery; and unexpected difficulties can occur. The demographic characteristics of donors has changed, and some accepted donors can present difficulties in surgical technique and risky decisions on the validity of the retrieved organ or organs. An alternative method to the cannulation of the abdominal aorta is proposed when there is evidence of disease in the infrarenal aorta during the multiorgan procurement.

[Basiliximab in the treatment of acute steroid-resistant rejection after liver transplantation].

We present the case of a liver transplant recipient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma who developed biopsy-proven acute steroid-resistant rejection 3 months after liver transplantation. After the failure of immunosuppressive therapy with intravenous boluses of 6-methyl-prednisolone and switching of the immunosuppressive regimen to tacrolimus plus mycophenolate mofetil, two doses of intravenous basiliximab were administered four days apart. Clinical, analytical, and biopsy-proven histological response was complete.

[Influence of donor age and recipient gender on survival in transplantation due to hepatocarcinoma].

Hepatocarcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent indications for liver transplantation. Survival in patients undergoing transplantation due to HCC is similar to that in patients undergoing this procedure for other indications. However, the current shortage of donors has led to longer waiting lists with a consequent risk of tumor progression.