The Association of Epstein-Barr Virus Donor and Recipient Serostatus With Outcomes After Kidney Transplantation : A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Prior studies indicate that 1% to 4% of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-seronegative recipients of EBV-seropositive donor (EBV D+/R-) kidneys develop posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). However, these estimates are based on limited data that lack granularity.

Objective: To determine the associations between pretransplant EBV D+/R- and recipient EBV-seropositive status (R+) and the outcomes of PTLD and graft and patient survival among adult kidney transplant recipients.

Safe and Orally Bioavailable Inhibitor of Serine Palmitoyltransferase Improves Age-Related Sarcopenia.

The accumulation of ceramides and related metabolites has emerged as a pivotal mechanism contributing to the onset of age-related diseases. However, small molecule inhibitors targeting the ceramide synthesis pathway for clinical use are currently unavailable. We synthesized a safe and orally bioavailable inhibitor, termed ALT-007, targeting the rate-limiting enzyme of ceramide synthesis, serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT).

Impact of kidney allocation system 250 policy on 1-year graft loss.

A new deceased donor kidney allocation system (KAS250) was implemented in March 2021 that prioritizes recipients within a 250-nautical mile radius of the donor hospital. KAS250 was implemented to reduce geographic disparities in access to kidney transplantation. Studies have shown an increase in cold ischemia time (CIT) after KAS250 implementation but the impact on graft outcomes is unknown.

Mitigating High-risk EBV and CMV Through Kidney Paired Donation: A Survey of Potential Donor and Recipient Candidates.

Background: High-risk cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) mismatches (ie, seropositive donors to seronegative recipients) among kidney transplant recipients lead to increased healthcare utilization, inferior allograft outcomes, and high mortality. We assessed the interest among prospective kidney donor and recipient candidates to participate in kidney paired donation (KPD) for averting CMV/EBV high-risk mismatches.

Methods: We surveyed 51 potential living donors and 102 kidney recipient candidates presenting for their evaluation visit at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center between October 2022 and May 2023.

Early Effects of the ESRD Treatment Choices Model on Kidney Transplant Waitlist Additions.

Key Points: The ESRD Treatment Choices model did not lead to an increase in kidney transplant waitlisting. The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on kidney transplant waitlist additions. Financial incentives alone, in the short term, did not lead to a substantial effect on kidney transplant waitlisting practices.

Silver-catalyzed regioselective synthesis of pyrano heterocycles: a versatile route to samoquasine A derivatives.

This study introduces a silver-catalyzed method for the efficient and regioselective synthesis of pyrano heterocycles, utilizing readily available alcohols and water as nucleophiles. The method demonstrates high efficiency, delivering excellent yields and selectivity, and is scalable to gram quantities while maintaining broad functional group tolerance. Notably, the synthesized pyrano[3,4-]quinolines were successfully transformed into diverse samoquasine A derivatives, underscoring the method's applicability in natural product synthesis.

Radiomics features for the discrimination of tuberculomas from high grade gliomas and metastasis: a multimodal study.

Background: Tuberculomas are prevalent in developing countries and demonstrate variable signals on MRI resulting in the overlap of the conventional imaging phenotype with other entities including glioma and brain metastasis. An accurate MRI diagnosis is important for the early institution of anti-tubercular therapy, decreased patient morbidity, mortality, and prevents unnecessary neurosurgical excision. This study aims to assess the potential of radiomics features of regular contrast images including T1W, T2W, T2W FLAIR, T1W post contrast images, and ADC maps, to differentiate between tuberculomas, high-grade-gliomas and metastasis, the commonest intra parenchymal mass lesions encountered in the clinical practice.

A review of arterial thoracic outlet syndrome.

Arterial thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a condition in which anatomic abnormalities in the thoracic outlet cause compression of the subclavian or, less commonly, axillary artery. Patients are usually younger and typically have an anatomic abnormality causing the compression. The condition usually goes undiagnosed until patients present with signs of acute or chronic hand or arm ischemia.

Characterizing proximity and transfers of deceased organ donors to donor care units in the United States.

Some United States organ procurement organizations transfer deceased organ donors to donor care units (DCUs) for recovery procedures. We used Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data, from April 2017 to June 2021, to describe the proximity of adult deceased donors after brain death to DCUs and understand the impact of donor service area (DSA) boundaries on transfer efficiency. Among 19 109 donors (56.

Deceased Organ Donor Management and Organ Distribution From Organ Procurement Organization-Based Recovery Facilities Versus Acute-Care Hospitals.

Organ recovery facilities address the logistical challenges of hospital-based deceased organ donor management. While more organs are transplanted from donors in facilities, differences in donor management and donation processes are not fully characterized. Does deceased donor management and organ transport distance differ between organ procurement organization (OPO)-based recovery facilities versus hospitals? Retrospective analysis of Organ Procurement and Transplant Network data, including adults after brain death in 10 procurement regions (April 2017-June 2021).

Recalcitrant ulcerative genital herpes in an immunocompetent individual treated successfully with imiquimod.

Background: This case report describes the successful use of imiquimod to treat genital herpes in an immunocompetent individual with acyclovir-resistant HSV.

Case Report: A 32 year old male patient, presented with asymptomatic non-healing ulcers over the genital region for 2 years. The ulcers initially responded to acyclovir but became persistent after a few months.

Therapeutic Donor Kidney Transplant Outcomes: Comparing Early US Experiences Using Optimal Matching.

Background: Therapeutic donors (TDs) are individuals who undergo organ removal for medical treatment with no replacement organ, and the organ is then transplanted into another person. Transplant centers in the United States have started using TDs for kidney transplantation (KT). TD-KT recipient outcomes may be inferior to those of non-TD-living-donor (non-TD-LD)-KT or deceased-donor (DD)-KT because of the conditions that led to nephrectomy; however, these outcomes have not been sufficiently evaluated.

Carotid Endarterectomy With Simultaneous Proximal Common Carotid Endovascular Intervention is Beneficial for Symptomatic Stenosis and Likely Confers No Advantage for Asymptomatic Lesions.

Introduction: Carotid bifurcation stenosis may co-exist simultaneously with more proximal common carotid artery (CCA) atherosclerotic plaquing, primarily at the vessel origin in the aortic arch. This scenario is relatively infrequent and its' management does not have quality randomized data to support medical vs surgical treatment. It is logical to treat any high grade common carotid lesions proximal to a carotid bifurcation endarterectomy (CEA) site both to prevent perioperative emboli or thrombosis as well as future embolization.

Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients from SARS-CoV-2-Infected versus Noninfected Deceased Donors.

Background: Acceptable post-transplant outcomes were reported in kidney transplant recipients from donors with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, there are no comparative studies with well-matched controls.

Methods: This multicenter, prospective observational study, which included three transplant centers in the United States, enrolled 61 kidney recipients from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected deceased donors. Using optimal matching methods, we matched every recipient to three comparators receiving kidneys from SARS-CoV-2-negative deceased donors with otherwise highly similar characteristics in the same transplant centers to compare 6-month eGFR.

The SHELTER Trial of Transplanting Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Lungs Into Uninfected Recipients.

Unlabelled: SHELTER is a trial of transplanting lungs from deceased donors with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection into HCV-negative candidates (sponsor: Merck; NCT03724149). Few trials have reported outcomes using thoracic organs from HCV-RNA donors and none have reported quality of life (QOL).

Methods: This study is a single-arm trial of 10 lung transplants at a single center.

Congenital Right Diaphragmatic Hernia Presenting in Adult Life: A Rare Case.

A severe deformity that can occasionally be detected in infants and younger children is a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is characterized by the existence of a diaphragmatic defect, most frequently to the left and posterolateral, known as Bochdalek hernia, that allows abdominal contents to herniate into the thorax. The diagnosis of this rare congenital diaphragmatic hernia is made in early childhood.

Use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound and Focus-Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography to Diagnose Acute Right Heart Failure Due to Fat Emboli in a Parturient.

Fat embolism syndrome (FES), causing right heart dysfunction, is a rare disease that is often difficult to diagnose with imaging modalities such as computed tomography (CT). FES is the clinical presentation that follows the entry of fat globules into the systemic circulation, which typically results in respiratory failure, scattered petechiae, cardiovascular collapse, and neurological sequelae. It is mostly observed in the cases of orthopedic trauma but may occur in any circumstance where fat can enter the circulatory system.

Characterizing the geographic distribution of vascular surgeons in the United States.

Objective: The shortage of vascular surgeons can be attributed to multiple factors, including an aging population, the increasing demand for vascular surgeons, and an aging vascular surgery workforce. The distribution of vascular surgeons across the United States varies by locale; thus, the shortage affects regions of different sizes disproportionately. We collated the geographic data to characterize the current distribution of vascular surgeons with an emphasis on the practice location, population density, and population age.

Five-Year Allograft Survival for Recipients of Kidney Transplants From Hepatitis C Virus Infected vs Uninfected Deceased Donors in the Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy Era.

This cohort study examines the validity of the Kidney Donor Profile Index’s hepatitis C virus (HCV) penalty during the direct-acting antiviral era by comparing 5-year allograft survival between recipients of kidneys from HCV-RNA–positive donors vs HCV-RNA–negative donors.