Measuring the quality of antenatal care in a context of high utilisation: evidence from Telangana, India.

Background: Antenatal care coverage has dramatically increased in many low-and middle-income settings, including in the state of Telangana, India. However, there is increasing evidence of shortfalls in the quality of care women receive during their pregnancies. This study aims to examine dimensions of antenatal care quality in Telangana, India using four primary and secondary data sources.

Mycophenolic acid and intravenous immunoglobulin exert an additive effect on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the mixed lymphocyte reaction.

Background: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has known immunomodulatory effects in autoimmune diseases and transplantation and is commonly used in desensitization protocols and for treatment of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). IVIG inhibits the MLR and induces apoptosis in immune cells. Mycophenolate mofetil inhibits immune cell proliferation and is an effective immunsuppressive agent.

Intracellular IFNgamma production in CD3 negative cells exposed to allo-antigens is an indicator of prior sensitization.

Background: Sensitization to HLA antigens (Ags) is a significant obstacle to kidney transplantation and risk factor for antibody-mediated rejection (AMR). Current screening methods to assess HLA Ag exposure include various antibody assays. However, tools to accurately measure cell-mediated immunity to allo-Ags in a clinical setting are lacking.

Isolated heart and liver transplant recipients are at low risk for polyomavirus BKV nephropathy.

Background: BKV infection and nephropathy is a significant cause of allograft dysfunction in kidney transplantation. BKV viremia, rather than viruria, corresponds to BKV nephropathy. The prevalence of BKV viremia in non-renal solid organ transplants has not been systematically evaluated.

Co-infection of polyomavirus-BK and cytomegalovirus in renal transplant recipients.

Background: Polyomavirus-BK (BK) is a significant cause of allograft dysfunction in renal transplant recipients. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and BK infection are thought to be possible risk factors for one another, but no supporting data are yet available.

Methods: The authors monitored BK and CMV infection by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 69 renal transplant recipients with serum creatinine elevation to determine the prevalence of co-infection.

Cellular immune responses to cytomegalovirus in renal transplant recipients.

Control of CMV replication depends primarily on anti-CMV T lymphocyte activity. However, the functional T-cell responses to CMV in immunosuppressed solid organ transplant recipients are not well understood. In this study we employed cytokine flowcytometry (CFC) using pooled CMV peptides and viral lysates to detect CMV-specific T-cell responses in 17 healthy controls, 33 stable renal transplant recipients (Tx recipients) and 6 transplant recipients with active CMV infection (CMV(+)).