Conversion from mycophenolate mofetil to delayed formulation in pediatric renal transplantation: higher mycophenolic acid predose level but no changes in the immune biomarkers.

EC-MPS was designed to improve MPA-related GII because of MMF, by delaying the release of MPA until reaching the small intestine. At present, its immunosuppressive activity in pediatric renal transplant recipients with GII has not been clarified. We studied eight renal transplant recipients before and after three months of the conversion from MMF to equimolar doses of EC-MPS.

Improved long-term graft function in kidney transplant recipients with donor antigen-specific hyporeactivity.

We investigated the development of donor antigen-specific hyporeactivity by using donor cells as stimulator cells in the MLC and comparing the pre- and post-transplant responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Twenty-two haploidentical pediatric living-relative donor recipients treated with daclizumab, methylprednisone, mofetil mycophenolate and calcineurin inhibitors were tested for study. Of these, 50% of the recipients developed in vitro donor antigen-specific hyporeactivity.

Autoantibodies in Argentine women with recurrent pregnancy loss.

Problem: To determine the presence or absence of subclinical autoimmunity in Caucasian Argentine healthy women with first trimester recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), the sera of 118 healthy women with a history of three or more consecutive abortions and 125 fertile control women without abortions and two children were analyzed for the presence of autoantibodies: immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM anticardiolipin, antinuclear (ANA), antismooth muscle (ASMA), antimitocondrial (AMA), antiliver-kidney-microsomal fraction (LKM), antigastric parietal cells (GPC), antineutrophil cytoplasmatic (ANCA) and antibodies antigliadin type IgA and IgG and IgA antitransglutaminase related with celiac disease (CD).

Method Of Study: ANA, ASMA, AMA, anti-LKM, antibodies to GPC and ANCA were determined by indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) and anticardiolipin, antigliadina and antitransglutaminase antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).

Results: There was no significant difference between controls and patients with ANA, ASMA, AMA, LKM, ANCA and GPC.

[Regulatory cytokines in the response to the allogeneic renal transplant].

The outcome of the kidney allograft mainly depends on the immune response and on its complex regulation, where the cytokine network and other mediators play an important role. At present, kidney biopsy is the most useful tool for monitoring the transplant rejection and the diagnosis of the associated nephropathies, in spite of the invasiveness of the procedure. Thus, it is of great interest to find alternative tools for diagnosis.

Mycophenolate mofetil and reduced doses of cyclosporine in pediatric liver transplantation with chronic renal dysfunction: changes in the immune responses.

The aim of this study was to study the incidence of chronic renal dysfunction in patients with more than 5 yr of follow-up following liver transplantation and to evaluate the benefit of decreasing cyclosporine A (CsA) dose combined with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on renal function and immune response in these patients. Between 1988 and 1994, 60 children were transplanted, and 86% survived >5 yr post-liver transplantation. Fourteen patients developed chronic renal dysfunction secondary to CsA toxicity as evaluated by renal biopsy.

Cytokine gene polymorphisms in recurrent pregnancy loss of unknown cause.

Problem: According to previous investigations, certain cytokines may play a role in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Significantly different levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines are produced by normal pregnant women compared with women with RPL of unknown cause.

Objective: We have studied the polymorphism of cytokine genes which are related to the amount of the cytokine produced.

Conversion from cyclosporine A to tacrolimus in pediatric kidney transplant recipients with chronic rejection: changes in the immune responses.

Background: Tacrolimus (Tac) has immunosuppressant properties similar to those of cyclosporine A (CsA), but it is more potent. At present, however, its immunosuppressive activity in renal transplant recipients with ongoing chronic rejection has not been clarified.

Methods: We studied changes in kidney function, mixed lymphocyte culture, cell-mediated lympholysis, cytotoxic antibodies, lymphocyte population, and cytokine response before and after the conversion from CsA to Tac in 14 pediatric renal transplant recipients with chronic rejection.