Incentives for plasma donation.

Background And Objectives: This work provides an overview of the incentives used for plasma donation in Europe and beyond. The overview can provide new ideas to blood establishments.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a systematic online search of incentives used and asked national experts to validate the data across all European Union countries as well as other European and non-European countries.

Effect of Inoculum Microbial Diversity in Ex Situ Biomethanation of Hydrogen.

The effects of the inoculum origin, temperature or operational changes on ex situ biomethanation by complex microbial communities have been investigated; however, it remains unclear how the diversity of the inoculum influences the process and its stability. We explored the effect of microbial diversity of four inocula (coded as PF, WW, S37 and Nrich) on methane production, process stability and the formation of volatile fatty acids as by-products. The highest methane amounts produced were 3.

Selenoprotein T Protects Endothelial Cells against Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Activation and Apoptosis.

Sepsis is an exaggerated immune response upon infection with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as the main causative agent. LPS-induced activation and apoptosis of endothelial cells (EC) can lead to organ dysfunction and finally organ failure. We previously demonstrated that the first twenty amino acids of the Apurinic/Apyrimidinic Endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APEX1) are sufficient to inhibit EC apoptosis.

Microbial Communities in Flexible Biomethanation of Hydrogen Are Functionally Resilient Upon Starvation.

biomethanation allows the conversion of hydrogen produced from surplus electricity to methane. The flexibility of the process was recently demonstrated, yet it is unknown how intermittent hydrogen feeding impacts the functionality of the microbial communities. We investigated the effect of starvation events on the hydrogen consumption and methane production rates (MPRs) of two different methanogenic communities that were fed with hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

Lack of Impact of Presence of Positive C4d Staining in Capillaries in Myocardial Biopsies on Long-term Survival of Heart Transplant Patients.

Background: The long-term survival of 209 consecutive patients (mean age, 46 ± 15 years) from a single center with ≥1 diagnostic myocardial biopsy after heart transplantation was analyzed.

Methods: Patients were considered as C4d positive if a capillary staining (immunohistochemistry in paraffin samples) was observed in ≥1 myocardial biopsy. Data were analyzed according to pathologic consensus of antibody mediated rejection definition of C4d+ positivity: 2004 definition in group A and the 2013 definition in group B and compared with their respective controls, composed of patients who do not meet those criteria.

Metastases of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor to the liver as extremely rare indication for liver transplantation in children. Case report and review of the literature.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are extremely rare in children (0.75 cases per 100,000 children and adolescents a year) and the majority of these tumors are benign or present low grade of malignancy. According to the American registry Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute, less than 2% of all neuroendocrine tumors in children occur in the pancreas, making it a rare site for these tumors.

Immunological factors and liver fibrosis in pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Background: The aim of our study was to retrospectively assess any correlation between graft fibrosis and selected immunological factors in pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Material And Methods: The study was performed on 33 patients after living related donor transplantation, divided into 2 groups depending on history of acute rejection episodes after transplantation. We assessed liver biopsies for presence of fibrosis, signs of antibody-mediated rejection, inflammatory infiltrations, and changes in bile ducts.

Desmoid tumor of the pancreas: a case report.

Introduction: Desmoid tumor is a rare, benign, usually asymptomatic fibromatous lesion. The etiology is unknown and the diagnosis is based on histopathological examination. The treatment is complete resection of the tumor.

Antibody-mediated rejection in pediatric liver transplant recipients.

Background: Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), associated with the presence of C4d deposits, is well-defined in kidney transplantation but much less documented in liver transplantation (LTx). The aim of our study was to retrospectively analyze a group of pediatric liver transplant recipients who experienced episodes of acute rejection in the past, for the signs of AMR and its impact on liver histology.

Material/methods: Our study population consisted of 18 patients after living related donor liver transplantation with a history of acute cellular rejection (1-5/patient).

Treatment of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver in children--single center experience.

Background: Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) represents less than 5% of all malignant hepatic tumors in childhood. It is considered an aggressive neoplasm with an unfavorable prognosis. The aim of this paper is to present a single center experience in the treatment of children with UESL.

First experience using navigation-guided radiofrequency kyphoplasty for sacroplasty in sacral insufficiency fractures.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of navigation-guided radiofrequency kyphoplasty for sacroplasty in patients with sacral insufficiency fractures.

Methods: In this single-center retrospective observational study, four consecutive patients with sacral insufficiency fractures were treated with navigation-guided radiofrequency kyphoplasty for sacroplasty between April 2010 and May 2012. Symptom characteristics, pain duration and pain intensity were recorded for each patient.

Changing treatment and outcome of children with hepatoblastoma: analysis of a single center experience over the last 20 years.

Background/purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze changing management and survival of children with hepatoblastoma (HBL) treated in one center.

Materials And Methods: Over the last 20 years, 51 children with HBL were treated. Surgery was performed in 48 children (94.

The impact of donor-specific antibodies on graft outcome in pediatric renal transplantation from deceased donors.

Background: Despite prospective crossmatching and modern immunosuppression, early acute rejection is still present in cadaveric renal transplantation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of preformed anti-donor antibodies, detected by 2 solid-phase techniques, and to analyze their impact on early renal allograft outcome.

Material/methods: Flow crossmatch detecting the presence of anti-donor IgG and IgM antibodies was performed in pre-transplant sera of 279 patients with negative cytotoxic crossmatch.

Liver transplantation for severe hepatic graft-versus-host disease in two children after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a frequent complication of bone marrow transplantation (BMT). After the skin, the liver is the second, most frequent target of GVHD, which presenting with hyperbilirubinemia, elevated liver enzymes, and coagulopathy. Progressive destruction of small intrahepatic bile ducts causes vanishing bile duct syndrome and leads to end-stage liver disease.

Liver transplantation in children with hepatocellular carcinoma. Do Milan criteria apply to pediatric patients?

HCC constitutes 25-30% of primary malignant liver tumors in children. Conventional surgical excision is not possible in more than 50% of patients. LTx has recently become an important therapeutic option for adults and children with primary liver tumors.

Local presence of cytomegalovirus and Candida species vs oral lesions in liver and kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Anti-CMV prophylaxis is currently a routine management in patients after organ transplantation. One of the clinical symptoms of CMV infection may be lesions in the oral cavity.The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between CMV infection, occurrence of Candida species and presence of oral mucosal ulceration in transplant recipients.

Hemodynamic failure as an indication to urgent liver transplantation in infants with giant hepatic hemangiomas or vascular malformations--report of four cases.

The aim of this study was to present acute hemodynamic failure as a rare indication for liver transplantation in neonates and infants with liver hemangiomatosis. We report four patients aged one to six months with giant liver hemangiomas, with huge arterio-venous shunting within these malformations. In three, many skin hemangiomas were found.

Non-resectable hepatic tumors in children - role of liver transplantation.

Background: There is a group of children with primary hepatic tumors which can not be resected by conventional partial liver resection. Total hepatectomy followed by liver transplantation may be the only solution in such cases. Authors reviewed own experience with the liver transplantation for unresectable tumors in children and assessed the possible indications and role of transplantation in these patients.

[Preliminary results and complications of HCV treatment after liver transplantation].

Unlabelled: The aim of study was to report the preliminary results and complications of HCV infection treatment after liver transplantation.

Material: Six patients after liver transplantation (one after combine liver and kidney) had been qualified to treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

Results: In four patients the therapy was discontinued due to severe side effects (anaemia, cholestasis, sepsis, acute rejection).

Prevention of de novo hepatitis B virus infection by vaccination and high hepatitis B surface antibodies level in children receiving hepatitis B virus core antibody-positive living related donor liver: case reports.

Transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from donors negative for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) but positive for antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) have been reported. The aim of our study was to evaluate the outcomes of recipients who received liver grafts from living related donors with serological evidence of previous exposure to hepatitis B virus (HBsAg-negative/anti-HBc-positive) after recipient vaccination against HBV before and after liver transplantation.

[Primary carcinoma of the thyroid growing in thyroglossal duct cyst: presentation of two cases].

Thyroglossal duct remnants (TGDR), most often cysts, are the most common type of developmental abnormalities of the thyroid gland. In about 1 to 2% of TGDR neoplastic transformation occurs. Papillary carcinoma of the thyroid may be encountered in over 90% of such cases.

[Bilateral papillary renal cell carcinoma in a patient post-renal transplantation].

Renal cancer accounts for about 2% of all cancers in general population. One of the risk factors is acquired cystic kidney disease developed in course of end- stage renal failure. About 2% of cases of renal cancer are associated with inherited syndromes.

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