Deep genetic substructure within bonobos.

Establishing the genetic and geographic structure of populations is fundamental, both to understand their evolutionary past and preserve their future. Nevertheless, the patterns of genetic population structure are unknown for most endangered species. This is the case for bonobos (Pan paniscus), which, together with chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), are humans' closest living relatives.

Recent Selection Changes in Human Genes under Long-Term Balancing Selection.

Balancing selection is an important evolutionary force that maintains genetic and phenotypic diversity in populations. Most studies in humans have focused on long-standing balancing selection, which persists over long periods of time and is generally shared across populations. But balanced polymorphisms can also promote fast adaptation, especially when the environment changes.

Long-Term Balancing Selection in LAD1 Maintains a Missense Trans-Species Polymorphism in Humans, Chimpanzees, and Bonobos.

Balancing selection maintains advantageous genetic and phenotypic diversity in populations. When selection acts for long evolutionary periods selected polymorphisms may survive species splits and segregate in present-day populations of different species. Here, we investigate the role of long-term balancing selection in the evolution of protein-coding sequences in the Homo-Pan clade.

Clinical value of a single determination of intracellular ATP levels in stimulated CD4+ T lymphocytes in pediatric patients with stable liver transplantation.

In the follow-up of transplanted patients under immunosupression, the functional assessment of CD4+ T cells activation by measuring intracellular ATP levels in vitro, using the Immuknow test give information on how immune system is functioning. Therefore, it has been reported that low levels of ATP correlate with the risk of opportunistic infection. Although limited, comprehensive results in adult recipients as well as in pediatric transplanted patients have been reported.

In vitro evaluation of new possible cell engraftment enhancers for cell transplantation.

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the best treatment to restore liver function in liver failure. The low availability of organs has focused interest on the use of cell transplantation to restore liver function. However, this technique is limited because cells can not bind to liver parenchyma and die soon after perfusion.

Living donor liver transplantation: usefulness of hemostatic and prothrombotic screening in potential donors.

Bleeding and thrombosis are serious complications of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). The aim of this paper was to describe the results of a screening for coagulation disorders, including for thrombophilic factors, in potential living liver graft donors and to evaluate thrombotic and bleeding events in donors and recipients, during and after the procedure. From January 2001 to January 2007, 41 LDLTs were performed at our institution.

Pretransplant lymphocyte count predicts the incidence of infection during the first two years after liver transplantation.

Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) show a low absolute number of peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations (PBLSs). We investigated if the baseline PBLS could categorize orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) recipients into groups at high or low risk for infection after transplantation. PBLSs were prospectively studied in 63 consecutive patients (42 males; mean age +/- standard deviation: 53.

An in vitro model of cell transplantation for evaluation of cell engraftment enhancers.

The limited availability of organs for liver transplantation has focused interest on the use of cell transplants to restore hepatic function. Advances have been made in rodent models, but efficacy is limited in humans due to low engraftment efficiency. In rodents, pretransplantation treatment of the liver with engraftment enhancers (EE) shows that repopulation is feasible, although the toxicity of the substances impedes their application in humans.

Compative study of bladder versus enteric drainage in pancreas transplantation.

Introduction: There is some controversy concerning the choice of best technique for drainage of exocrine secretions in pancreas transplantation. We compared patients with bladder drainage (BD) versus those with enteric drainage (ED).

Patients And Methods: From March 1995 to September 2008, 118 patients (68 men and 50 women) of overall mean age of 37.

Urological complications after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Objective: We evaluated the incidence of urological complications after simultaneous renal and pancreatic transplantation.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed urological complications following 107 simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantations performed at our institution between March 1995 and June 2008. The 46 women and 61 men were of mean age 37.

A new strategy of delayed long-term prophylaxis could prevent cytomegalovirus disease in (D+/R-) solid organ transplant recipients.

Long-term prophylaxis against cytomegalovirus (CMV) started immediately after transplantation in (D+/R-) poses a higher risk of late-onset CMV disease. Delayed CMV prophylaxis could allow a transitory exposure of the immune system to CMV, which would let the immune system mount an adequate CMV-specific cytotoxic response in (D+/R-) patients and confer protection against CMV disease. We included all (D+/R-) solid organ transplant recipients (SOT) performed at our institution (January 3/October 6) who received CMV prophylaxis (mainly with oral valganciclovir) during 100 d.

Incidence, risk factors, and outcome of chronic rejection during antiviral therapy for posttransplant recurrent hepatitis C.

Antiviral therapy for recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplantation has been associated with the development of chronic rejection. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, evolution, and risk factors associated with the development of chronic rejection during posttransplant hepatitis C virus antiviral therapy. Seventy-nine patients with posttransplant recurrent hepatitis C who were treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin were prospectively followed.

Preemptive therapy is not adequate for prevention of cytomegalovirus disease in pancreas-kidney transplant recipients.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) remains the most common viral infection after pancreas-kidney transplantation (PKT). Comparative studies about CMV prophylaxis in PKT have not been developed.

Methods: We analyzed CMV disease in a cohort of 84 PKT recipients.

Long-term follow-up of donor chimerism and tolerance after human liver transplantation.

We aimed to quantify peripheral donor chimerism (DC) and to analyze its association with graft and recipient outcome. Forty-two liver transplant recipients and their respective donors were studied, providing a total of 148 posttransplantation serum samples. DC was assessed with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect polymorphic markers.

Real-time PCR quantification of haematopoietic chimerism after transplantation: a comparison between TaqMan and hybridization probes technologies.

This study aimed to compare the sensitivity and accuracy of two methods of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qrt-PCR), in order to determine haematopoietic chimerism (CH): single nucleotide polymorphisms using TaqMan (TM) probes and insertion/deletion polymorphisms using Hybridization (Hyb) probes. A total of 106 samples from 20 patients who underwent allogenic stem cell transplantation (n = 14) or live-donor liver transplantation (n = 6) were studied. The mean level of chimerism was 8.

Single nucleotide change in the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR1) gene in colorectal cancer outcome.

The cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR-1) and endogenous agonists of this receptor are present in the central and peripheral nervous systems including the gastrointestinal nervous system. The surgically rejected specimens of human colorectal cancers and paired normal tissues were studied to detect mutations in the CNR1 gene by sequencing method. The results were compared to clinicopathological parameters and correlated with overall survival time.

Mutation in CNR1 gene and VEGF expression in esophageal cancer.

Aims And Background: Cannabinoid receptors have an impact on gastrointestinal function, but it remains unknown whether mutations may affect tumor susceptibility in patients with esophageal carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine mutation in the cannabinoid receptor-1 (CNR1) gene and its relation to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression as an angiogenic and poor prognostic factor.

Methods: 179 esophageal tissue samples from 69 patients (29 with esophageal cancer and 40 controls) were studied.

Primary extragastrointestinal stromal tumors in the omentum and mesentery: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study.

Background/aims: This study aimed to describe the clinical, histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of primary extragastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGISTs) of the omentum and mesentery diagnosed in the Hospital 12 de Octubre, in Madrid, Spain, from 1993-2005.

Methodology: The clinical data and histological and immunohistochemical findings of primary mesenchymal neoplasias were revised using the Department of Pathological Anatomy databases.

Results: Six EGISTs were identified.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte populations in end-stage liver diseases.

Goals/background: The aim of this study was to decipher whether end-stage liver failure modifies peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) in a homogeneous manner, independently of the base pathology, or, if on the contrary, PBL subsets show a different profile in each hepatic disease.

Methods: We studied PBL subsets in 71 patients with end-stage liver disease, before liver transplant, and 74 healthy controls by flow cytometry. The results were statistically compared between patients and controls, and cohorts of patients classified according to their base pathology.

Incidence and risk factors for the development of lung tumors after liver transplantation.

Tobacco and immunosuppression are risk factors for developing upper aerodigestive and lung tumors after transplantation. This study comprises 701 adult recipients who survived more than 2 months after transplant: 276 patients underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) and 425 for nonalcoholic disease. The aim is to analyze the incidence, clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcome of patients who develop lung malignancies after OLT.

Clinical and histological efficacy of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy of recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation.

Treatment of recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplant is controversial. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical and histological efficacy of pegylated interferon alpha 2b (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin therapy of recurrent hepatitis C after liver transplantation (LT). We prospectively included 47 liver transplant patients with: 1) a positive test for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-ribonucleic acid (RNA) in serum; 2) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >45 UI/mL; and 3) a liver biopsy showing chronic hepatitis without rejection in the previous 2 months.

Pancreas preservation with the University of Wisconsin versus Celsior solutions.

Introduction: The use of Celsior solution for organ preservation has not been thoroughly studied in pancreas transplantation. The aim of this study was to compare University of Wisconsin and Celsior solutions for preservation of pancreas grafts.

Patients And Methods: From March 1995 to December 2005, 72 patients with type 1 diabetes underwent pancreas transplantation.

Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus in long-term liver or cardiac transplantation patients.

Bone loss is one of the most common complications after solid-organ transplantation, but it is frequently under-diagnosed. Our purpose was to evaluate quantitative ultrasound of calcaneus (QUS) in comparison with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to identify transplant recipients with osteoporosis. We have cross-sectionally evaluated 140 transplant recipients (85 liver and 55 cardiac transplantations; mean age: 53.

Valganciclovir preemptive therapy for the prevention of cytomegalovirus disease in high-risk seropositive solid-organ transplant recipients.

Background: The role of valganciclovir in the prevention of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in high-risk seropositive transplant patients is not known.

Methods: We prospectively followed 301 seropositive solid organ transplant recipients to assess the efficacy and safety of valganciclovir (VGCV) in the prevention of CMV disease in high-risk patients. Asymptomatic patients with an antigenemia test >or=25 positive cells/2x10(5) polymorphonuclear cells received valganciclovir 900 mg twice a day as preemptive therapy until resolution of antigenemia (minimum 14 days).

Incidence of pancreas graft thrombosis in portoiliac and portocaval venous anastomosis.

Background: Pancreas graft thromboses represent more than 70% of all technical failures; multiple risk factors have been implicated. We analyzed the thrombosis rates using portoiliac versus portocaval vein anastomoses.

Patients And Methods: The series includes 53 patients who underwent pancreas transplantation: 49 simultaneous pancreas-kidney and 4 pancreas after kidney.