Factors affecting operational tolerance after pediatric living-donor liver transplantation: impact of early post-transplant events and HLA match.

Pediatric recipients of living-donor liver transplants (LDLT) can often discontinue immunosuppression (IS). We examined factors affecting development of operational tolerance (OT), defined as off IS for >1 year, in this population. A historic cohort analysis was conducted in 134 pediatric primary semi-allogeneic LDLT.

The generation of donor-specific CD4+CD25++CD45RA+ naive regulatory T cells in operationally tolerant patients after pediatric living-donor liver transplantation.

Background: CD4+CD25++CD45RA+ cells (naïve regulatory T cells [naïve-Tregs]) have been identified as a functionally premature form of CD4+CD25+++CD45RA(-) cells (conventional-Tregs). However, their contribution to transplant tolerance remains to be elucidated.

Method: We examined the frequency and the function of conventional and naive-Tregs in the peripheral blood derived from operationally tolerant patients after pediatric living-donor liver transplant (Gr-tol).

Forced oscillation technique as a non-invasive assessment for lung transplant recipients.

We usually use spirometry for the medical follow-up of respiratory mechanics after lung transplantation. However, especially in the first few post-operative weeks, it is easily affected by postoperative pain and the patient's co-operation during forced breathing effort. To avoid missing out on assessing pulmonary function, we perform non-invasive forced oscillation techniques on the patients who cannot perform forced breathing maneuvers.

Value of FOXP3 expression in peripheral blood as rejection marker after miniature swine lung transplantation.

Background: Outcome for highly immunogenic lung transplantation remains unsatisfactory despite the development of potent immunosuppressants. The poor outcome may be the result of a lack of minimally invasive methods to detect early rejection. There is emerging clinical evidence that, paradoxically, expression of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3, a specific marker for the regulatory T cells) is upregulated within rejecting grafts.

[Viral infection after lung transplantation].

We experienced 3 cases of viral infections after lung transplantation. Case 1: Fifty-two-year-old male with pulmonary emphysema underwent left single lung transplantation from a cadaveric donor. Three months after transplantation he presented Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) viremia, resulting in multiple lymphadenopathy.