Equivalent outcomes with primary and retransplantation in African-American deceased-donor renal allograft recipients.

Background: Graft survival following renal retransplantation has been inferior to that following primary allografting, particularly in African Americans (AAs) receiving deceased-donor (DD) kidneys.

Methods: Among 166 AA DD renal allograft recipients transplanted from July 2001 through July 2007, we compared the outcomes of 26 (16%) receiving a second graft with those of 140 primary cases. All patients received either thymoglobulin (ATG) or an IL-2 receptor antagonist for induction, and were maintained on either tacrolimus or sirolimus + mycophenolate mofetil +/- prednisone.

Differentiation of alloreactive versus CD3/CD28 stimulated T-lymphocytes using Raman spectroscopy: a greater specificity for noninvasive acute renal allograft rejection detection.

Acute rejection (AR) remains problematic in renal transplantation. As a marker, serum creatinine is limited, warranting a more effective screening tool. Raman spectroscopy (RS) can detect T-cell activation with high sensitivity.

Raman spectroscopic differentiation of activated versus non-activated T lymphocytes: an in vitro study of an acute allograft rejection model.

Acute rejection (AR) remains a significant complication in renal transplant patients. Using serum creatinine for AR screening has proven problematic, and thus a noninvasive, highly sensitive and specific test is needed. T cells from human peripheral blood were analyzed using Raman spectroscopy.

Intravenous immunoglobulin, HLA allele typing and HLAMatchmaker facilitate successful transplantation in highly sensitized pediatric renal allograft recipients.

The use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in sensitized transplant candidates has resulted in reduced HLA antibody levels and shorter transplant wait times. In addition, the HLAMatchmaker program has been used to identify acceptable mismatches to permit transplantation in highly sensitized patients. We used IVIG desensitization in conjunction with high resolution HLA allele typing and HLAMatchmaker grading of donor offers to facilitate successful transplantation in two highly sensitized children who were awaiting second renal transplants.

Predictive value of human leucocyte antigen epitope matching using HLAMatchmaker for graft outcomes in a predominantly African-American renal transplant cohort.

The HLAMatchmaker program is based on the donor/recipient comparison of the polymorphic triplet amino-acid sequences of the antibody-accessible regions on the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecule. The previous reports on its predictive value for renal allograft outcomes are conflicting. We conducted a retrospective study in a predominantly African-American (AA) cohort (N = 101, 94% AA).

Influence of carbohydrate and age on lymphocyte function following a marathon.

The influence of 6% carbohydrate ingestion and age on PHA-induced lymphocyte proliferation and in vitro cytokine production was studied in 48 runners following a competitive marathon. Runners were randomly assigned to carbohydrate (C; n = 23) and placebo (P; n= 25) groups, with blood samples taken before, immediately after, and 1.5 hr post-race.

Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy after liver transplantation successfully treated with plasmapheresis.

Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD) is a recently described cutaneous fibrosing disorder associated with renal dysfunction. It appears similar to scleromyxedema but with some notable exceptions, including the lack of involvement of the face and absence of plasma cells on histology, systemic involvement, and paraproteinemia. Patients can present with thickened or edematous skin with indurated papules and plaques involving the extremities and the trunk.

Baboons undergoing orthotopic concordant cardiac xenotransplantation surviving more than 300 days: effect of immunosuppressive regimen.

Objective: We reviewed long-term survival among hosts in 3 consecutive series of a rhesus monkey-baboon orthotopic cardiac xenotransplantation model with reference to host immune response, including the effectiveness in preventing rejection and limiting toxicity concerning infection, to evaluate specific immunosuppressive regimens for long-term outcomes.

Methods: Six juvenile baboons surviving more than 300 days after transplantation were reviewed. Regimen A consisted of splenectomy, FK506, methotrexate, and antilymphocyte globulin.

Decreased insulitis and blood glucose levels after injection of GAD-transduced lymphocytes into NOD mice.

We used NOD mice to investigate the effects of injecting transduced lymphocytes on insulitis, nonfasting blood glucose levels, and immune responses. Syngeneic splenocytes were transduced with retroviral particles carrying a cDNA construct encoding the beta cell antigen glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65), a secreted form of GAD65 (SGAD55), or secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) as a control antigen. Different multiplicities of infection (m.

Maternal modulation of neonatal immune system development.

Changes in programming of neonatal immune development were effected through maternal immune modulation (Leishmania major inoculation). In progeny of these dams, immune profiles in both blood and spleen were changed throughout the neonatal period and were pronounced after weaning. White blood cell (WBC) and lymphocyte counts in blood of 45-day-old progeny were two-fold less than control animals.

Ontogenic development of Th1 and Th2 cytokine capabilities in random bred mice.

Neonatal mouse Th1 capabilities mature by postnatal day 5. Neonatal T cells have been reported to exhibit a bias towards Th2 cytokine production when co-cultured with adult antigen presenting cells (APC). We studied mouse T cells co-cultured with contemporary APC to evaluate neonatal cytokine production capabilities.

Sex differences in photoperiod control of antigen-specific primary and secondary humoral immunity in Siberian Hamsters.

Photoperiod was hypothesized to mediate T cell-dependent B cell production of IgM and IgG. Antigens induced production of specific immunoglobulins; serum IgM but not IgG, was higher in males in long vs. short days (16 vs.