Publications by authors named "G Bartel"

Processing of ambiguous visual stimuli has been associated with an increased activation of the left lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in neuroimaging studies. Nevertheless, the functional role of prefrontal activity in this process is not fully understood. In this experiment we asked participants to evaluate ambiguous inkblots from the Rorschach test, while stimulating the left lateral PFC using excitatory anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

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While linear C4d staining in peritubular capillaries (PTC) is established as a marker of antibody-mediated rejection, the significance of a distinct granular C4d deposition pattern has not yet been clarified. In this study, 329 renal allograft recipients who underwent indication biopsies were analysed for immunohistochemical C4d staining characteristics. Fifty-six (17%) recipients showed granular C4d in PTC, without any relationship to conventional risk factors and morphological features of rejection.

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Background: Baseline comorbidities influence patient outcomes in renal transplantation. Identification of high-risk recipients for patient death and early allograft loss might lead to superior stratification.

Material And Methods: In this retrospective study, risk stratification models were developed in a cohort of 392 kidney transplant recipients and validated in an independent cohort to predict short-term (2 year) outcomes.

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The complement system has recently been described as a crucial component for transplant tolerance induction, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Using a rodent model of donor lymphocyte infusion-induced male histocompatibility antigen-specific transplant tolerance, we demonstrate that tolerance induction is dependent on the complement receptors decay accelerating factor, complement receptor 3, and complement component 3a receptor (C3aR). Furthermore, we have provided evidence that complement dependent tolerance is mediated through C3aR on infused donor splenocytes and on recipient cells.

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Protocols for recipient desensitization may allow for successful kidney transplantation across major immunological barriers. Desensitized recipients, however, still face a considerable risk of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), which underscores the need for risk stratification tools to individually tailor treatment. Here, we investigated whether solid phase detection of complement-fixing donor-specific antibodies (DSA) has the potential to improve AMR prediction in high-risk transplants.

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