Tissue transplantation is the preferred treatment for end organ failure such as heart, lung, kidney, and liver. The immune system recognizes the transplant as non self if the donor and recipient are not genetically identical. Multiple cytokines are involved in this process; however, little is known about their predictive role in rejection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic, a wide between-country variation was observed regarding in-hospital mortality and its predictors. Given the scarcity of local research and the need to prioritize the provision of care, this study was conducted aiming to measure the incidence of in-hospital COVID-19 mortality and to develop a simple and clinically applicable model for its prediction.
Methods: COVID-19-confirmed patients admitted to the designated isolation areas of Ain-Shams University Hospitals (April 2020-February 2021) were included in this retrospective cohort study (n = 3663).
Background: Patients who undergo living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) may suffer complications that require intensive care unit (ICU) readmission.
Aim: To identify the incidence, causes, and outcomes of ICU readmission after LDLT.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent LDLT.
Background: Corona virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a challenge to health sectors all over the world. The pandemic arrived in Egypt a few weeks after Europe and Asia, with rapidly rising numbers. Health care workers (HCWs) are front liners sustaining a major risk of acquiring the infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Biliary complications (BCs) after liver transplantation (LT) remain a considerable cause of morbidity, mortality, increased cost, and graft loss.
Aim: To investigate the impact of BCs on chronic graft rejection, graft failure and mortality.
Methods: From 2011 to 2016, 215 adult recipients underwent right-lobe living-donor liver transplantation (RT-LDLT) at our centre.
Background: Despite significant advancements in liver transplantation (LT) surgical procedures and perioperative care, post-LT biliary complications (BCs) remain a significant source of morbidity, mortality, and graft failure. In addition, data are conflicting regarding the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of LT recipients. Thus, the success of LT should be considered in terms of both the survival and recovery of HRQoL.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Research has revealed that asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infections are important contributors to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in populations. In Egypt, the true prevalence of infections is veiled due to the low number of screening tests. The aim of this study was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity rate as well the seroprevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibodies before the ultimate development of a second wave of the epidemic in Cairo, Egypt.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Smoking negatively impacts COVID-19 severity and adverse outcomes. Evidence on whether smoking is associated with SARS-Co-V2 infection and having a positive test is scarce, particularly from low-and middle-income countries, where most of the world's billion smokers live. The inconsistency in relevant findings calls for study designs and analyses to account for possible confounders including background characteristics and pre-existing co-morbidities, to disentangle the specific effect of smoking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh-grade dysplasia carries significant risk of transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite this, at the current standard of care, all non-malignant hepatic nodules including high-grade dysplastic nodules are managed similarly. This is partly related to difficulties in distinguishing high-risk pathology in the liver.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe global concern of increasing number of children presenting with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has escalated the need for a case-oriented clinical approach that provides timely diagnosis and management. The aim of this study is to share our experience in managing 64 MIS-C patients of North African ethnicity guided by a risk-based algorithm. Sixty-four patients met the inclusion criteria, 19 (30%) patients were categorized as mild and moderate risk groups and cared for in an isolation ward and 45 patients who belonged to the high-risk group (70%) were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We examined Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroconversion incidence and risk factors 21 days after baseline screening among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a resource-limited setting.
Methods: A prospective cohort study of 4040 HCWs took place at 12 university healthcare facilities in Cairo, Egypt; April-June 2020. Follow-up exposure and clinical data were collected through online survey.
Background: The scale of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among health care workers (HCWs), particularly in resource-limited settings, remains unclear. To address this concern, universal (non-symptom-based) screening of HCWs was piloted to determine the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the associated epidemiological and clinical risk factors at a large public health care facility in Egypt.
Methods: Baseline voluntary screening of 4040 HCWs took place between 22 April and 14 May 2020 at 12 hospitals and medical centres in Cairo.
What Is Known And Objective: The influence of immunosuppression on the response to antiviral therapy (AVT) for recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in liver transplant (LT) recipients remains controversial, especially for the rarely investigated genotype 4. This study aims to compare the effects of the two widely used calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) (cyclosporine A (CsA) and tacrolimus (Tac)) on the therapeutic response to different AVT regimens.
Methods: A prospective, dual-centre, cohort study of 126 Egyptian living donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients with recurrent HCV genotype 4 infection, who were categorized into three groups according to the AVT used.
Background: Bacterial translocation (BT) has been proposed as a trigger for stimulation of the immune system with consequent hemodynamic alteration in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, no information is available regarding its hemodynamic and coagulation consequences during liver transplantation.
Methods: We screened 30 consecutive adult patients undergoing living-donor liver transplant for the presence of BT.
Aim: To determine risk factors, causative organisms and antimicrobial resistance of bacterial infections following living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in cirrhotic patients.
Methods: This prospective study included 45 patients with hepatitis C virus-related end-stage liver disease who underwent LDLT at Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Cairo, Egypt from January 2014 to November 2015. Patients were followed-up for the first 3 mo after LDLT for detection of bacterial infections.
Cofactor of BRCA1 (COBRA1) is one of the four subunits that make up the negative elongation factor (NELF) complex that is involved in the stalling of RNA polymerase II early during transcription elongation. As such, it regulates the expression of a substantial number of genes involved in cell cycle control, cellular metabolism and DNA repair. With no DNA binding domain, its capacity to modulate gene expression occurs via its ability to interact with different transcription factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To assess the impact of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score on patient survival and morbidity post living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).
Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 80 adult patients who had LDLT from 2011-2013. Nine patients were excluded and 71 patients were divided into two groups; Group 1 included 38 patients with a MELD score < 20, and Group 2 included 33 patients with a MELD score > 20.
Objective: Understanding issues pertaining to quality of life is essential for any disease, particularly in recipients of liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of liver transplantation on Egyptian recipients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Methods: A prospective study carried out at the Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplantation (Cairo, Egypt), including 35 recipients for the evaluation of HRQOL using short form 36 score (Arabic version) and Beck Depression Inventory scores pre-transplantation and 1 and 6 months afterwards.
Background: In the living donor liver transplant setting, the preoperative assessment of potential donors is important to ensure the donor safety.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify causes and costs of living liver-donors rejection in the donation process.
Materials And Methods: From June 2010 to June 2012, all potential living liver donors for 66 liver transplant candidates were screened at the Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplantation.
Objectives: To assess the effect of the intraoperative use of terlipressin on splanchnic hemodynamics and postoperative renal function in patients undergoing liver transplantation.
Design: Open-label, prospective, randomized study.
Setting: Single-center study.
Background: After right lobe donation, biliary complication is the main cause of morbidity. Mortality after right lobe donation has been estimated to be less than 0.5%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Intravascular volume replacement therapy is an important issue in the perioperative management of liver transplantation. There is paucity of data on the safety of hydroxyethyl starch (HES) in patients undergoing liver transplantation. We evaluated the safety of a new HES 130/0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To date, cadaveric organ donation is illegal in Egypt. Therefore, Egypt recently introduced living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), aiming to save those who are suffering from end stage liver disease. Herein, we study the evolution of LDLT in Egypt.
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